The Dragon Age world, plot, and their characters aren't mine but belong to Bioware. Some characters may be my creations. I get no money for writing this sequel.

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Denerim, Amaranthine's mansion

Anders:

Suddenly, I felt like a whirlwind battered Hawke with demands for attention and decisions, not that some didn't spill over to me, too. Tabris demanded that we correct our records as Wardens. Fergus bothered Hawke with countless details about equipment, forces, and Kirkwall terrain until she yelled at him. The Grand Cleric sent Hawke many notes. Trinna didn't bother with notes, she interrupted.

Hawke worried that her memories of smuggling routes were outdated. I worried about any mages trapped in Kirkwall. With visions of stitched and chained mages every time I dozed off. I tried very hard not to push for a faster departure.

No one else seemed worried aside from Teyrn Highever.

The queen demanded Trinna's attendance at a Landsmeet party, and that the Arlessa must appear confident and uninvolved in Kirkwall issues to reassure the Landsmeet. Hawke's assembling an attack force was not much of a secret, but royal forces weren't involved so Landsmeet wasn't interrupted. That didn't bother me that much, Trinna was interfering more than helping by this point.

How many enemy should we plan for? The Qunari attack years ago had been in the hundreds. They had only been the surviving troops stranded by Isabela's theft. Everyone now was sure it had to be more, but how many more? Ten thousand was far too many with Tevinter expanding again. Five thousand was probably still too many, as that was a large fleet for a small target. I never wanted the Qun in Kirkwall, they allowed no escapes, the sarabas wanted no escape.

Finally, Hawke, Trinna, and Fergus decided that a force of a thousand or so was more likely and more than enough to handle the city guard. They were close enough to winning the last time with half that. The Qun might have converts in the city, and that number was unknown. Hawke's presence in her Champion armor could make that difference.

I was not as hopeful.

Late afternoon, a messenger from the Queen of Ferelden requested an audience with Hawke at Fort Drakon.

Hawke's face twitched and I squeezed her hand. I said, "I don't think I should go, love."

Her face firming, she gripped my hand. "After this, we go everywhere any other married couple goes."

"I can skip the walls and rooftops and hiding in dark stinky shadows?" I had to smile at the contrast. Some places she was comfortable with, but I only endured.

Hawke's face fell. "I won't be able to anymore either." She forced a smile and said, "So, we'll still be together."

Fergus and Hawke went to see the queen, but Hawke came back alone after dinner had passed. "Anora suggested that I meet the other ambassadors before we left here. Those games should wait. But what armor are you planning on wearing for this?"

I planned on my Grey Warden armor, much less uncomfortable to wear after Hawke wore it too. But I understood the real question, was I a Warden more than the Scourge? The black was a reminder of our time as Vengeance and I didn't want to be that man anymore. "Love, I wish I had not dismantled my old armor to make the black."

Running her fingers though the mostly gray feathers on my Warden armor, Hawke asked, "How long would it take to replace... could it be done by tomorrow night?"

Thinking, I remembered that much had taken longer because I did all the modifications myself. "I'd need help."

Hawke plucked at her sash. "Anora offered armorers and tailors for sewing and runes to... make me more impressive. You aren't twisted by Vengeance anymore and that should be clear to anyone. I'd like to see you look more like the man I met."

I did too, but... "I don't want to forget, to deny what happened. Part should stay black."

"Fine, make it one piece and we can change it later if you want, but not the feathers. I want people to remember the healer of Darktown. That's closer to who you are, honey."

This was Hawke planning for appearances, and that left me uneasy. Uneasy that I wasn't unremarkable Grey Warden Heysal, but the hated Scourge. I would be delivering myself. "Could this be a trick to get me to Fort Drakon for capture?"

Dera looked at the door where I could hear people moving, a bleak expression on her face. She spoke softly. "No. They might possibly have assassins, but they won't like what I would do if this is a trap. It would not be to remove the Qunari. They want Kirkwall free of the Qunari warriors. Anora sent a handful of people to help us prepare, including a Tranquil who is an expert at runes used for the royal armor."

I hated that and Justice tried to emerge.

Hawke grabbed our hands. "She admitted to being an active bloodmage made Tranquil long before the Blight. She worked in a shop here in Denerim, and in the palace since the Blight."

Justice calmed at the punishment and not preemptive abuse.

I embraced my wife and said, "If I have enough help, I can finish by tomorrow night."

We took over a larger work chamber and I laid out our armors for replacement or cleaning. Some were elves who seemed prosperous and talked about appearance and style far more than Hawke really cared.

The Tranquil was dressed in a tunic and trousers which were plain. Her blue eyes were very... calm. She made a slight humming noise as she examined the runes in our armor. Then she spoke to me, with a glance at my staff. "It does not hurt."

I looked at the neat braid and graying hair, trying not to grind my teeth. "I would think it would be like the phantom pains someone feels who lost a hand. Those feelings have been cut off, after all."

"Do you feel the loss of having no Stone Sense as a human? You don't have that ability any more than any surface dwarf." Her reason was still present.

"I never had that ability, so wondering about the Stone is curiosity and maybe envy. You had feelings, or don't you remember that?" I couldn't help making fists as I spoke to her.

Unlike my unrest, her eyes were dispassionate. "Envy was once considered one of the types of demons, something to shun. Lust and greed together included envy as a portion. I remember having feelings, but they were a distraction, much like how a small child might have a tantrum. A child who has no care for her toys."

Hawke gripped my arm. "But children can be taught better and they can grow up to be good people even if they misbehaved."

The Tranquil put on a painful and forced smile. "I would not have forgotten how simple reaching out to nudge and make things go as I wanted them. Maybe it was like legends where a human raised by wolves never was fully human. To me, non-mages were barely better than animals and the crippled Circle mages were half as weak as I thought myself. I no more understand what I thought and felt before, than understood before why burning my brother was bad when I was little."

Her expression remained calm, even if her story was familiar.

I remembered Karl, and looked at Hawke and the elven armorers. "Would you have wanted to live like this?"

The Tranquil blinked. "No, I wanted my magic and loved exploring my limits." She looked at me closer. "But I was very sure of my limits and did not risk my life with my magic. I would never have made a grand gesture with my death on my defeat. I am content with all that passed."

I didn't understand that, but Tranquil rarely lied.

Hawke's Champion armor didn't need change, we would just replace fabric too often mended and re-gild the metal. If I had more time I would have worked on improvements for her runes. Mine, I tried to return my armor to turquoise and brown like what Hawke remembered. I wanted to wear my refurbished black pauldrons, to remind me, but packed them away. In all, it looked like a new set of the armor I wore at first in Kirkwall, except I added some red tint and piping to the brown parts of the coat to match Hawke more.

It also matched the enchanter's gem Irving gave me at the Sacred Ashes shrine.

Irving's comments were more apt than I'd ever wanted to admit. I wanted to help protect the mages from the Chantry and Templars, not just get them more freedom. Any Tranquils like this one made me feel like I'd failed, even if she had been made Tranquil around the time I was first hauled in by the Templars.

We went out to view Fergus' ship. Hawke liked its size because we could have a tiny cabin. The crew was used to mabari, so the ship had few ladders compared to other ships. What made this odd to me was that we were sailing as ourselves.

It almost seemed more proper when some minor officer tried to stab me with a sharp ship's blade as Hawke crawled around in one of the holds. "Traitor to the Maker! Foul Maleficar. You slaughtered Andraste's handmaid just as She was killed. You never should have been born!"

The blade sliding into my chest was all too familiar.

Justice's rage was now as familiar as an old shoe.

Pushing the mate away required little effort from Justice, until the sailor thudded with a crack of something breaking against the bulkhead. My vision grayed as I looked up at the deck above.

I was sinking, even if I felt no fear. -Don't kill him.

You delay the inevitable.

The pain was swallowing my thought. -Just don't.

The storm of magic spread out from me as I saw the sailor slide to the deck. Then I faintly heard Hawke scream.

When I woke, my head was resting on something warm and soft. I hurt too much to smile. "Does he live?"

"Nice to see you too, Anders. I'm getting you a dozen mabari. You need that many nannies you can't out-talk." Her voice was angry and face expressionless.

Now I knew what to say. "If he dies from my actions, it will be the Scourge who killed him, not a trial. Neither Meredith or even Vael wanted trials. Does he live?"

Hawke spat. "His legs are paralyzed. Now you are to finish healing yourself, my potion could only do so much."

By the time Hawke got me to my feet, Fergus and the Captain arrived, furious. They held the court martial on deck and Hawke's face was so cold when the mutiny was ruled. The mate was hung and body hauled away in a heavy silence that carried over to the other ships nearby. Other sailors didn't argue but their silence was just short of sullen. A handful left the ship, but no one told us what happened after that.

I was showing Hawke my modified armor with Irving's gift the next night when I heard a knocking at the window of our bedroom.

A second later and the window swung open with a click and Isabela slid in. "I hear there's a new Viscount in town. You could have saved a lot of effort by bedding the boy before he got himself killed and just inherited the title."

"Isabela!" Hawke smiled her first real smile in days and hugged the pirate.

"Well now, those rags are much prettier on you than what I saw you in last, mage. That is a very nice gem, too." Isabela's tunic was now the bright color of a citron.

I preened. "Irving gave me this after we saw you. I want to keep your eyes front and center."

"Hawke, I hear you're in tight with Cousland now, too. She still good in the sack?"

Another body, that of the elven assassin Zevran, entered the window and clicked it closed with a grin. "My dear Captain is always displeased when her acquisitiveness has been thwarted?" His smile widened. "Or maybe it is her inquisitiveness. She is a seeker in her own way."

That I didn't like. "Hawke's in my sack for good." I wanted to warn 'Bela.

Isabela patted our cheeks, her voice husky with her interest. "No, I don't want to separate you kittens. You never did tell me if she's got good taste."

I flushed at the old memory and so did Hawke.

"How cute!" laughed the pirate.

Hawke finally spoke. "We married."

Isabela pouted. "You know how to ruin the sex."

That I could grin at. "Hasn't ruined it, so far."

"Speaking about ruining your fun, I hear you're going back to Kirkwall because the hornheads moved in. I'm not sure if that takes balls, or you're crazy, Hawke."

Hawke moved to the tray of alcohol. "Both. We left Bethany and Fenris at a Grey Warden camp just outside the city. Varric and Avelene are in the city, too."

"Hawke, they've got one of their dreadnaughts in their fleet. Those can carry a thousand little hornheads by themselves," Isabela said.

"You's seen their ships? How many are there?" Hawke looked sharply at the pirate.

Isabela sat on the bed and ran her hand over the rumpled covers with a smirk. "Three ships passed by us very early on the second. They either didn't spot us or didn't care about useless things like cargo ships."

Hawke asked her, "Do you want in on this fight, Isabela? I don't know it there's going to be booty. I'm not even sure we won't be fugitives after this even if we win."

A chuckle came from the Antivan as he examined a bottle. "I am not at all sure why it is you dog-lords want to stay when your enemies hold not just the cards but the table and dealer as well."

Paws snorted at that and rose to his feet.

"No offense, my furred friend. I well remember the fine qualities of the Warden's Mouser but I wonder if your partners are as rational as you.

"Hawke, the Chanter in the market spoke against the heathen Qunari and an earlier March. Kirkwall is much closer than Rivain and they're scared of what happened there."

I was almost shocked about a Chanter doing that in public. "The Chantry can't call on the Templars for a March against the Qunari. They Templars are too busy hunting down mages to care what happens to the rest of Thedas."

Hawke shook her head. "They missed that the building is burning down."

Isabela looked eager. "I want in, I still owe them for my old ship and crew. Would the Viscount owe me a favor then?"

Hawke grinned nastily. "You want a job? I could make you Admiral of the Harbor Defense or something. I doubt there will be much in the treasury, unless you'll take cookies."

That surprised Isabela and her mouth opened and closed a couple of times as she looked at Hawke, seeking the joke.

Hawke shook her head. "Favors are same as ever, Captain. I'm always glad to help my friends with their problems, especially before it becomes a war. Right now, finding my sister and Kirkwall are most important."

"I've got three ships, two taken as prizes since last year when everyone got testy. Shipping is down unless in convoys for safety. We aren't seeing that many interesting targets."

Hawke looked up in the air. "We're meeting tomorro... today to finish with what Highever can gather..."

Isabela shook her head and made a dismissive gesture. "Highever's ship is fast but they aren't experienced with sea battle. With good winds we might get there in a couple of days for all that will do if the harbor chain is up... If I'm Admiral, The Sea Cockerels will be the flag ship. It's better armed and experienced." She smacked her lips and looked at us. "But I don't have many cabins."

Hawke stiffened, but didn't object. I stepped behind her and she relaxed against me.

Then our talk turned to events like Provings and Ashes, Vael and Grey Wardens in general. Corypheus was mentioned, though she thought Bethany and Fenris were hilarious. We worked our way through much of the alcohol on the tray, but they left before dawn to return later.

Fergus announced on his arrival about some volunteers and we told him about Isabela's ships. Cousland and Isabela went off to chat with Alistair.

We got to keep the assassin with the polished accent. I didn't really like him, but I would be stupid to turn his assistance aside. He flirted with Hawke and not the Teyrn even as he reminded Hawke that he owed her... a favor.

Pulling Hawke closer, I reminded him, "We're married."

The elf only smiled at me. "Well, that doesn't mean I cannot assist you. Wardens often forget that there is more to pleasure than tents and dark places. I learned a salve from a friend of a friend to make your experience more vital instead of a chore..."

I bared my teeth. I didn't need tutoring.

"Though perhaps the Champion has no need of some favors." He smirked at my anger.

Isabela updated our charts as Fergus left with Hawke to interview our growing forces. We had maybe five hundred and the Qunari had as many as two thousand. We didn't know how many in Kirkwall could fight, would fight for the Qunari, or would fight for us.

I felt uneasy at the whole idea of us having forces. This many people knew where she was, where we were. Were there still any Crows waiting in the shadows, or those who wanted justice for what we did?

"You look a little disturbed by this planning, Warden. Perhaps we should speak of more pleasant things," Zevran said. "Do you need assistance in planning your honeymoon? "

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A/N: Thanks to my beta reader who has been kind enough to read this and point out stupid flubs. Any typos that remain are not intentional... Reviews or a PM to let me know what you think would be very appreciated.