Corypheus and Calpernia were still out there somewhere, rifts still dotted the land, but despite all of that the Inquisition and its members had fallen into a certain semblance of regularity. Even after a series of disturbing facts had been uncovered regarding the Seekers of Truth and the possibility of reversing Tranquility, things had not fallen apart. Despite it being revealed that Blackwall, a member of the Inquisitor's Inner Circle, was not who he had claimed to be, they had rallied together rather than turned against one another in a storm of suspicion.

Aiden, Serena, and Alistair worked tirelessly to restore the Grey Wardens to their former glory. The Queen and Zevran had taken it upon themselves to personally train Tara in the art of dagger wielding to masterful effect. Marian, Krem, and Iron Bull had been placed in charge of assisting Cullen in training the recruits who seemed to come to Skyhold in droves by the day now. Meanwhile Dorian and Garrett lent their skills to training their fellow mages. Tara watched over them all, leading with a fair and just hand that never wavered.

Somehow in the midst of all of the chaos, they had found happiness.

Garrett could not recall having felt so utterly content since before the Fifth Blight had reached Lothering and torn his world and family apart. Every sunrise he thanked the Maker for his life, his family, and for Dorian. The Tevinter mage was beyond his wildest dreams constantly doting on the Ferelden. When it was the mustached mage who was called away to assist the Inquisitor on some mission he wrote the most heartfelt letters, and frequently brought back trinkets to bestow on his constantly surprised lover. And when their positions were reversed, Dorian always had a steaming bath and a feast waiting for Garrett when he returned from his own travels. Together or apart, they were always seemingly connected.

It was a sentiment that Tara was beginning to understand completely herself. Cullen was a wonder, and even when their respective duties kept them apart for long stretches of time, the petite rogue would simply finger the coin around her neck and smile, her heart full to bursting with the love she knew was between them. And regardless of their schedules, if they were both in Skyhold they always slept together. Even the dark cold nights after she had just returned from a mission, falling beneath her covers bone weary and bleak, Tara could always count on the Commander's strong arm to wrap about her waist and pull her into a warm embrace at some point.

As for the eldest Hawke sibling, Garrett was all too pleased to note that Marian was reclaiming a bit of softness, a portion of her that he thought had been buried and forgotten after Kirkwall. When she wasn't assisting in teaching recruits how to properly mangle and obliterate enemies on the battlefield, she was dressing in plainclothes and going on cozy little dates with the Charger's Lieutenant. For his part Krem was the perfect gentleman. He contentedly stood guard whenever Marian wished to use the underground spring to bathe, massaged her injured arm whenever it was bothering her, and had even brought the wild auburn haired woman flowers he had picked after slaughtering a group of bandits near Redcliff. His attempts at romance were awkward, but they were precisely what the warrior woman needed, and adored.

Not that Krem had really accepted that fact, as was evident by his somewhat melancholy tone as he spoke with his friend The Iron Bull one night in the Herald's Rest.

"I just don' know what to do Bull," the brunette lamented quietly as his fellows roared with merriment in the back ground while they played cards at their usual table. The two leaders of the Chargers were seated at the bar enjoying a set of strong drinks to ease the passing of Krem's uncertainty.

"What do you mean Krempuff? I thought that things were going well for you and the Iron Maiden?"

"I mess everything up," the Lieutenant cried into his cup before taking another long drink. "I'm tryin' Bull really I am! But, I spill things, an' trip up all my words…I…I want to do something special for her, but I don't know what to do!"

"I thought you were taking it slow? You know, letting Marian lead the pace?"

"I am, and we are! It's just…I still want her to know that I am serious abou' her!"

"You took her flowers…"

"They 'ad blood on 'em!"

"Okay," Bull drawled slowly, fighting to keep his grin at a minimum. "Listen...I don't know a lot about wooing amongst humans. In the Qun, if you truly care about someone you find a dragon and you get one of its teeth. Once you do that, you split the tooth in half and keep one half for yourself and give the other half to the person of your affections…it means that you are always together, no matter how far apart you might be." For a long moment Cremisius was silent then he turned his gaze up at his friend, a positively brilliant sparkle in his eyes.

"Bull...how the FUCK am I supposed to the get the bloody tooth of a blighted dragon!"

"Before you start screaming at me, you should remember just who it is you are talking to. I happen to be not only the leader of the greatest band of mercenaries to ever set foot on Ferelden soil, but I also happen to be a part of the Inquisitor's inner circle. That means I am privy to information that others are not...such as the location of a dragon. Boss says we need to get rid of the thing, I guess it's been snacking on some of Harding's scouts. I could put in a word and get you on the extermination team?"

"You're the bloody best Bull."

"I know Krem-puff, I know."


"I've been thinking about this for a while now and..." Varric's eyes widened as they followed the progress of the small royal blue velvet box. With a soft snap it opened to reveal a handsome band made of dark metal, inlayed with red-oak and a smaller band of blue stone the same color as Garrett's eyes. The Storyteller's smile was as bright as the sun.

"Sparkler," he managed to say softly, "that is a right gorgeous piece of jewelry you have there." The grey eyed mage smiled down at the ring before carefully placing it back in his pocket.

"Do you think he will like it?"

"I am certain that he will love it! When are you going to ask him?" The Tevinter mage shrugged.

"I am not sure just yet, perhaps just after we get back from slaying this abominable dragon with our lovely Inquisitor? I could take him somewhere special then, maybe during dinner, or after a nice quiet day sightseeing..."

"I know that whenever and wherever you decide to ask him, it will be perfect Dorian," the Dwarf said encouragingly as he patted his friend's hand. "Don't overly worry about it."

"He deserves for it to be absolutely the right moment!"

"And I am telling you that it will be no matter what. Trust me, if there's one thing I know it's a Hawke, and the one you have your eye on...Dorian look, I hate to spoil the ending of this romance for you, but he is going to say yes."

"You really think so? I just want to make certain that this is the right time for this, for both of us. Not that any amount of worrying on my part is going to dissuade me mind you. I am going to ask Garrett to marry me..."

"You should do it right after you land the killing blow on the dragon," Varric insisted with a smile as he hoped down from his seat. That made the mage chuckle.

"Perhaps I will. I would look rather dashing: kneeling on the beast's nose as its head fell to land just before my wide eyed beau, the ring held out in one steady hand!"

"There see, you'll do just fine! Now we had better get going before the Inquisitor comes searching for us."

"I just hope that the dragon cooperates with this fantastic plan of yours."


"This is not how I thought this would go!"

The dragon's roar made Marian's teeth rattle within her head. Dear Maker what had they been thinking! The warrior woman raced around the High Dragon's front legs, attempting to land a crippling blow, but to no avail. Her strikes rang through her arms, stinging her hands as she met the resistance that only dragon scales could offer.

They were going to die.

"We need to get out of here," she shouted as she narrowly missed being crushed by a clawed paw.

"Our retreat is blocked," the auburn haired woman heard Tara yell in response. "It seems that it is do or die today!" Marian rolled out from under the beast's stomping feet and glanced briefly to the opening of the pass they had come from. There she saw her companions attempting to carve a path back through a swarm of dragonlings and her heart sank. Krem alone could not make an opening through the wall of wyrms, if only she or Iron Bull could lend their strength...but both warriors were currently busy making sure that the Mother dragon was too distracted to defend her young.

From her vantage point on a high rock the Inquisitor attempted to provide cover to both sets of allies. Her brow was beaded with sweat and her fingers bled, but she never wavered. A fireball exploded against the canyon wall above her, singeing her hair, but still she fought on.

Garrett was positioned between the two fighting groups, lending his healing magic and heroic aura to both sides as well as cover. But as the battle drew on his mana reserves began to waver, and the big mage's own concern intensified.

Suddenly an ear splitting scream rent the air as Marian's sword finally sliced into the tendon of the dragon's right front paw. The warrior's smile of victory quickly vanished as the beast came crashing down right on top of her. "Marian," Krem cried out, hissing a slew of curses as he was unable to disengage from the dragon's spawn to give the warrior woman aide. Her brother however abandoned the others and raced to his sister's prone form as the dragon rolled off of her to bite at Iron Bull.

The big mage was able to determine that his sister still had a pulse, and then the dragon whirled back. With one snap of its tail it sent the Qunari mercenary leader flying and spewed a column of fire down upon the siblings. Garrett threw a shield around his sister and dove out from the midst of the blaze, firing strike after strike of lightning at the dragon to lure it away. Dorian watched as his heart lodged firmly in his throat. He needed to act quickly. A wall of icy spikes shot up out around him, impaling several dragonlings and buying the mustached mage just enough time to send Krem a look before he launched himself across the canyon floor.

He reached the limp woman's side and hefted her up into his arms, his magic seeking out her wounds. "Marian, come now dear girl...come back to us."

Just then Garrett's own pained yelp drew Dorian's gaze, horrified, the Tevinter man watched as his lover skidded across the earth, the dragon having managed to clip the big man with its tail. Unlike his sister however the hulking Ferelden instantly got back onto his feet to face the beast limping towards him. "Brother...?" Marian mumbled against Dorian's shoulder, her eyes flickering open.

"Hawke!" A voice Dorian did not know rang out, and suddenly a figure clad in black could be seen racing towards the big mage. Garrett started and turned towards the man, his eyes widening in clear recognition. "Hawke," the low voiced stranger shouted again as he pulled a greatsword from its place at his back.

What happened next Dorian would never forget.

Without missing a beat Garrett sheathed his staff and bent down towards the sprinting warrior, his hands interlaced before him. The stranger ran right up to Marian's brother, placed a foot in the mage's hands, and a moment later Garrett heaved him into the air. As the warrior flew, the big Ferelden then turned and fired a bolt of lightning at the dragon, drawing the beast's gaze downward. The warrior landed on the creature's head, his sword severing its spinal cord. As the dragon let out a death scream and fell towards the earth, the unknown man leapt free, landing neatly at Garrett's side.

Dorian watched, a silent scream clawing at his throat as he pieced together just who it was standing before his lover. Marian struggled to sit up, taking in her friend's deadpan gaze and casting her own eyes to lock on the all too familiar form of her brother's ex, Fenris. The next instant the auburn haired warrior was on her feet, dragging the Tevinter mage along after her as she began striding towards Garrett.

Krem, Varric, and Tara had managed to dispatch the last of the dragon's spawn and gone to check on Iron Bull. The Dwarf's whispered, "Oh shit," got everyone attention however, and quickly four sets of eyes moved to fall upon the strange elf who stood before Garrett.

"Varric," a somewhat pale Inquisitor asked softly, "is that who I think it might be?"

"Yep...not good, oh and there's Marian! Definitely not good," the Storyteller muttered as he began quickly making his way to try and intercept the livid looking Hawke.

"Are you alright," Fenris asked, but his voice sounded as if it were a thousand miles away in Garrett's ears. "Hawke, did you hit your head? Talk to me."

He certainly felt as if he had taken a hit, several in fact; a few to the head, a few more pointed blows to his heart, and perhaps one more to his head for good measure. Before the big mage could muster a retort however a gauntleted fist belonging to his sister flew past his peripheral vision and landed with astounding accuracy directly in the center of Fenris' throat. The blow knocked the elf back off of his feet, and the warrior woman leapt upon him as she shouted, "You little prick what the fuck are you doing here!"

"Marian no, stop!" The sound of Dorian's voice pulled Garrett from his stupor and an instant before either Varric or the Tevinter mage could move to keep the eldest Hawke from beating her brother's ex into a pulp the hulking Ferelden lurched forwards and easily plucked her off of the white haired warrior. He held his still struggling sister by the back of her collar as she flailed, growling, and still attempting to get at Fenris.

"How dare you come here! What makes you think you have any right! Put me down Garrett!" A now equally furious Fenris jumped back onto his feet snarling at Marian as he cast his startled gaze at the big mage.

"Of course I came! When I returned to Kirkwall after hunting Venatori in the Free Marches I got your letter Garrett, stating that you had gone to Ferelden, so I followed. When I got here…I heard many strange rumors regarding the both of you and this Inquisition…I heard that you were dead Hawke!"

"Yeah well he got better, much better in fact while you weren't around!"

"I am not talking to you Marian," the elf grit out from behind clenched teeth as his gaze briefly darted to the odd dark skinned man hovering just behind the Hawke siblings. He was staring at him in a way that made Fenris' skin prickle.

Had the elf's glare been any more potent Dorian was sure that it would have actually managed to physically wound him. "What are you looking at?" Such a deep voice from such a lithe figure, though large for an elf. Olive skin, sharp intelligent green eyes, astonishingly white hair, and those markings…not tattoos judging by how they glowed, but the design was still quite pleasing. Not to mention skilled with that massive sword. Yes, the mustached mage could see how his lover had been attracted to such a warrior.

"Someone who should have stayed away."

The shock of hearing a voice so menacing come from the normally level headed Garrett Hawke made everyone freeze. The big mage set his sister aside as he took a step towards a now wide eyed Fenris. "What do you mean Hawke," the elf asked quietly.

"I mean that as noble as you coming to what, mourn my corpse, might seem to you, I do not comprehend why you have chosen to come after so long? We haven't seen one another in months…more than half a year! Don't you get it Fenris," Garrett cried his tone shifting into something that was equal parts defeated and exasperated, "we are done!"

Dorian's own heart seized in his chest as he watched a look of utter betrayal cross the elf's carefully guarded eyes. His mouth opened and closed several times, but the stunned warrior seemed incapable of forming a single syllable.

Abruptly Varric inserted himself between the two formidable men, "Hey Hawke, perhaps this isn't really the time or place for this conversation?"

"There is no conversation Varric," Garrett muttered his voice even more tired than it had been before. "We were over the day he left me for the third and final time. Our dragon is slain, we should…"

"We should be heading back to Skyhold," Tara cried as she stepped up to the Dwarf's side, sending everyone around her a brilliant, if a tad bit brittle, smile. "Excellent work, all of you, really! And, Fenris was it? You are of course welcome to accompany us and remain at Skyhold until you are ready to travel again."

"What," the big Hawke practically growled about to protest when a hand wrapped around his wrist startling him. The Ferelden mage's eyes swung back to collide with the serene gaze of Dorian.

"He came all this way for you."

No one even noticed that Krem lingered by the body of the High Dragon.