***Author's Notes***

A long chapter for you all :D

Some fluffy bit's aswell :)

Let me know what you think!

Chapter 37

"Ah, brother!" Sarah jogged up to Hawke as he strolled through Hightown with Sophie and Fenris. "I need to speak with you."

Hawke cocked his brow at her. "What's with all the formality?" She's being very...odd, recently. "What's wrong?"

"Yeah..." She scratched at the back of her neck as her brow furrowed in thought. "Actually, I should speak to all of you really, at home maybe?"

Sophie huffed. "I really need to pick up supplies though."

"Well, Garrett can come with me and then you two can meet us later and we'll fill you in?"

Garrett suddenly found himself in an awkward position between his two sisters. Both of them wanting to spend some time with him and he could only pick one. He was rescued by a small cry and the padding of tiny feet.

"Mum!" Said voice belonged to his nephew as he pelted after his mother, obviously after escaping the grasp of a frustrated looking Isabela. He ran and leaped into his sisters arms and hugged her tightly making her laugh. Then his bright blue eyes finally took note of those around him. "Uncle Fen!" He bounced down and over to the elf.

Hawke looked at his rogue sister and his friend as they each grasped a tiny hand each as Levi stood between them. Their faces were drawn in equal parts happiness, longing and sadness. A soft sigh escaped Sophie's lips as she nodded at whatever she had been thinking.

"We'll take Levi so you can talk and be back in an hour." Fenris bobbed his head in agreement, his mouth a thin line as he looked down at his 'nephew'.

Sarah smiled at her sister and led Garrett away by the hand as Isabela held his waist, his eyes followed Sophie and Fenris as they strolled toward the markets, their faces still somber. I'll have to ask them about that...

And so he was dragged back to his home to listen to what problems the people of Kirkwall had for him next.

"Ah, the Champion of Kirkwall's sister." A smooth thick accent echoed out to them as they returned from the markets of Hightown. Antivans... Fenris scowled in the direction of the voice and saw heavily armed and armored men standing in the shadows.

"Who wants to know?" Sophie replied as she pushed Levi behind her and into Fenris who then maneuvered the boy behind him.

"Your brother's reputation precedes him. And would I have known he had such a beautiful young sister, I would have asked for his help sooner." Fenris tensed up and stood beside Sophie even as he kept a firm hold of Levi. "Forgive me, I should have introduced myself properly. My name is Nuncio Caldera Lanos, I am a noble from the beautiful country of Antiva."

Sophie let out a small laugh beside him. "It must have taken a lot of practice to say that all in one breath." Levi giggled behind them and Fenris scowl deepened.

"It's mostly to impress the ladies I assure you." His Lyrium itched. "I have come to ask your brothers help-"

"Can I take a message?" She said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hiding among the Dalish is an elven assassin I've been tracing for months. He's a master manipulator who will endanger even his own kind to ensure his survival."

She clucked her tongue, her face stony as she thought quickly on how to end this conversation. "Hmm, that is troublesome."

"Indeed. I lost many good men to him." The Antivan glared down at her and Fenris casually turned himself so that he was partially in front of her. Nuncio took the hint and backed of slightly. "He's nothing but a murderer, a thief, and a liar."

"Uh-huh. And you want me to tell my siblings to find out where the Dalish are hiding this elf?"

"That is...part of it, yes. This elf is very dangerous and he must be brought in before he kills again." He began to pace and Fenris watched, slightly amused, as Levi followed the Antivan with mistrustful eyes and a cold face that he had learnt from Sophie. Clever boy. "I've heard of your dealing with the Dalish-"

"My brother's dealings."

"Yes, I was hoping you could go where my men could not. Find out where the assassin is hiding and apprehend him."

Sophie huffed, eager to leave she simply nodded. "I'll tell him."

"One of the Dalish, a woman named Variel, is a friend of his. I suggest speaking with her first."

Behind him, a bodyguard Fenris assumed, spoke up. "We wont be here when you get back. We've got a campsite outside the city. Look for us there."

A bodyguard speaking out of turn in front of a noble? Very strange. Sophie seemed to read his mind as her eyes narrowed at the men before her. She nodded once more and turned on her heel, her hand gripping Fenris free one as his other held Levi's. Her skin touched his bare palm and his Lyrium cooled, the normal throbbing it usually had dimmed and eased some of his tension.

"That, my dear, was a trap."

She nodded. "Indeed, love. Let's tell Hawke anyway and see what he wants to do. Chances are he'll want to speak to this assassin."

"Aunty Merrill's a Dalish, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

The three of them entered the foyer of the Hawke estate and were greeted by a resounding bark and thumping of paws. Muttley bounded into the foyer and charged himself into Levi, flooring the boy and licking up one side of his face. Levi shrieked in laughter as he fought to remove the Mabari of himself.

Fenris sighed, the noise already giving him a headache and lifted the hound of the boy in a mighty show of wiry strength. The dog whined as he felt his paws leave the ground and wriggled in the elf's grasp. Fenris' lips quirked up into a grin as he deposited the dog and was suddenly set up by his own tongue bath.

"Ew, I am not kissing you after that." Sophie shook her head and began walking away toward the sound of Sarah's lilting laughter in the main room of the house.

"See what you've done now, dog?" The dog sat back a panted, his tongue lolling to one side as Fenris wiped the slobber from his cheek. "She means it too, you know."

"I never see you and aunty kiss, Fen." Levi draped himself onto the hounds back as it stood up to give the boy a ride. "I see mummy and daddy kiss sometimes and Uncle Garrett and Aunty Izzy do it all the time. I even saw Aunty Merill...wait, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that." Fenris cocked his brow at the boy as they slowly made their way to the rest of the household. "How come I never see you kiss, do you not love each other?"

Fenris was taken aback slightly at the question and wasn't sure how to answer the four-year old. "We do."

"They why-"

"I think, maybe you should ask your mother."

The boy sighed out his nose. "Fine." And dug his heels into the dog and trotted away in a show of betrayal. Fenris smirked after him.

Inside the main room, the walls were cast in an orange glow as the hearth was roaring to ward off autumns chill. Fenris took his usual position of leaning against the marble of the fireplace, arms crossed and knee bent. Sophie was sat in an armchair with her sister leaning against her legs as she braided the mage's hair, her nimble fingers making short work out of the long red tresses. Hawke had his finger and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose in a show of stress as Isabela rubbed his shoulders, a frown on her face. Very unusual. He wondered at what he had missed until Hawke sighed and looked at his sister and poison master.

"What do you think, Sophie?"

Her brow furrowed as she worked at the hair before her, the braiding slowed as she thought. "I've never heard of a potion like that. I'm not saying I know every potion there is...but I'm sure I would have seen something like that. Especially if it's from Tevinter." Her yellow eyes, orange in this light, flickered to Fenris with a show of guilt. Fenris frowned at her. We will speak of this later.

Sarah sighed and leaned her head back, ruining her sister's work who dropped the rest of the braid and just stared down at her. "I knew it. He lied to me." The abomination. The sadness in her voice made Sophie and Hawke wince. "He seemed off but I was just so happy to hear that this could be an option, I just brushed it off." Sophie nodded and rested her chin in her palm.

"I'll look into it properly, but Drakestone and Sela Petrae?" Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should speak to him."

"Absolutely not." The words had flown from his mouth before he could stop them, the harshness sharp across the previously tense but warm conversation.

Sarah sighed again and looked up at her sister. "I agree." Fenris' eyes widened in shock. He had expected a rebuke or a show of indignation.

Hawke leaned forward. "Me too. He seems unstable...err, no offence Sarah."

She waved him off, grinning as she blew a stray piece of hair from her face. Isabela tutted and moved to sit beside her and began helping Sophie in her quest to braid it back. The pirate hummed her affirmation. "Hmm, he's becoming more broody than, well..." She jerked her chin in his direction.

"I do not brood." He glowered.

Sophie laughed lightly. "Yes, and I'm the Queen of Orlais."

He grinned. "Fine. Go ahead and laugh at me!"

The group snickered and fell back into easy lounging positions only to be interrupted by a new voice.

"What are we all speaking about then?" Hawke jumped at the sight of Anders who casually strolled in from the kitchen. "Anything I miss?" Five sets of eyes flickered to each other.

Sophie coughed. "We were just talking about a group of Antivans that me and Fenris had the pleasure of meeting. They want us to go to the Dalish and look for some assassin." She waved her hand in air as she spoke. "He claimed to be a noble but we suspect a trap, what do you think Anders?"

Hawke's eyes widened at this onslaught of information but covered it up with his show of stress from earlier. Isabela took it in stride and said, "I still think it's a trap..." quietly as she finished of the finally finished braid in Sarah's hair. Sarah nodded as she patted it down.

The abomination shrugged. "Trap."

"So, we're all agreed then?" Sophie stood and brushed of her linens to remove strands of red hair. "We go to the Dalish tomorrow?" Hawke nodded and leaned back in his chair, his fingers coming together as he elbows rested on the armrests. "Cool, see you in the morning." She held her hand out to Fenris who took it and together they ascended the stairs and eventually into her bedroom.

Sophie was still pouring over books and tomes when he returned from his bath. He had hoped she would join him but she insisted on finding more out about this 'potion' the abomination had thought up. He then remembered her comment from earlier about Tevinter.

"Flames! There's nothing about any such potion from Tevinter in here!" She slammed the tome closed and Fenris caught a glimpse of the cover, it did not look pleasant and was most certainly from the Imperium. "I knew it." She balled her fist up on the arm rest and looked up at him.

"You said you would know about it if it was from Tevinter. Why?" He was blunt but he wanted to know why she was looking into the place he longed to forget.

She looked away from him and thought for a second before standing and wandering over to her store cupboard which was filled with ingredients, runes and poisons. There was also a well stocked collection of fine wines in its base which she broke into a pulled out a rich red from Orlais. She also pulled out a small book bound in leather and thick red and silver thread. She opened the wine and took a sip before handing it to him for him to taste.

"I was looking into the ritual Danarius did to you-"

He growled. "Why!" His hands tightened around the bottle and he had the sudden urge to throw it at the wall. He looked down on the book, it's cover was imprinted with arcane symbols and traces of people on round tables.

"I know they hurt you." She said it simply. "And I know that sometimes it eases when we touch." She demonstrated by placing a small hand on his chest. The persistent dull throbbing settled and he relaxed a little. "I wanted to see if there was a chance that I could recreate that effect in a potion...like a balm, for when I'm not with you." She said the last part in small voice and he felt his anger ebb away.

She want's to help you. Like she always does. "Why would you not be with me?" He breathed out.

She smiled at him then and took the bottle from him and took a long swig. "You never know. Anyway, it seems to be impossible so I'll just have to stick around won't I?"

He grinned and growled low in his throat and wrapped his arm around her waist as he took his turn from the wine. "I guess you will."

It was hot as the high, autumn, midday sun persistently beat at their backs. Hawke was tired and irritable as he entered the Dalish camp with Isabela, Sarah, Sophie, Fenris and Anders at his back. He wouldn't normally gather such a large group for so simple a task as this, but everyone had been present at the conversation last night and still there at breakfast time. So everyone was here by default.

Fenris and Anders threw half-hearted insults at each other as Sarah and Isabela laughed pleasantly at the various topics that women talked about. Sophie walked behind them all with a loose tunic that revealed her scars to the sun, her leathers were in her hand, ready to be put back on should strangers appear. Hawke missed Varric in this moment, he wanted someone to throw random jokes around.

He meandered around the camp until he found an elf named Variel. She had stunning eyes.

"Greetings, Champion." Oh, Maker. I'm Champion here aswell? "That is what they call you in your city, isn't it? Did you need something?"

The group wandered around the camp to let him talk with the elf. Anders, Sarah and Isabela went to talk with the Keeper about a ring they had found on a group of thieves they had fought with on the way here, and Fenris and Sophie went over to Master Ilen's shop to root around for anything they may need. He watched as Sophie shrugged back into her leather's despite the heat and frowned.

"I hear there was a criminal hiding among the Dalish."

The elf woman shook her head. "He is not among us. This criminal of yours is set up in a cave away from our camp. He said there would be people looking for him, and to tell anyone who asked where he is."

"I thought the point of hiding was not too be found."

"He said he didn't want to endanger our people by asking us to lie for him." Her eyes narrowed had her voice gained a steely edge. "Not something you'd expect from a cruel and evil murderer, is it?" She gestured in the general direction of a known series of caves beyond the camp. "He'll be waiting for you at the cave." Hopefully at the entrance. Hawke despised caves since the Deeproads incident and vowed never to go back there. "Good luck trying to reach him, however." Damn it.

The Varterral lay dead by their feet...again. Sarah bent over, holding her knees as she regained her strength whilst Ander's healed her shoulder-blade which had been crushed when the Varterral flung her against the cave wall.

"You've fought one of those before brother?"

Hawke grinned at her. "Yeah, before you two got here actually." He winked and turned to watch Izzy begin her looting.

Sophie laughed behind him. "How ever did you manage?" He watched as Fenris grinned beside her and hefted his massive sword back into its scabbard.

"Now you, I wasn't expecting." A rich jovial voice carried to them from the shadows and Hawke noticed as Isabela stood rather quickly and beamed into one corner of the room. From it strolled a handsome elf with elegant tattoos that curved around one eye and bronzed skin that rivaled Fenris'.

"I thought I smelled Antivan leather!" Isabela bounced over to the Antivan, glee spread on her dark face.

"Haha! Isabela!" He gripped her tightly into a hug, his hand roved dangerously low and Hawke felt himself go on the defensive. Touch her one more time, I dare you. He pulled away and looked her up and down appreciatively. "If it isn't my favourite pirate wench."

She giggled, low and husky and Hawke raised a brow at her. "Shouldn't you be dead by now?"

"I could say the same, my dear. It seems we were both fortunate to find powerful friends, no?"

Sarah stepped forward. "Uh, care to introduce us, Izzy?" The assassin looked around at the group, whisky coloured eyes landing on his sisters and staying long enough to leer.

Isabela laughed again and did a hasty introduction, pointing to people as she spoke their names. "Sarah, Sophie, Fenris, Anders, and this..." She backed away into Hawke. "Is Hawke." She purred out his name.

The elf bowed and rose to meet the gazes of his party. His eyes remained to linger on Sarah and Sophie. "A pleasure, I'm sure. I am Zevran Arainai, adventurer and occasional assassin." He tore his gaze away from the sisters as their respective partners positioned themselves beside them. Instead he looked at Hawke. "I must admit, I was expecting an assault from the Crows. Not the great Champion of Kirkwall!"

Sophie sighed from beside Fenris, gaining everyone's attention. "I'll assume you're not talking about birds."

Zevran threw his arms up in shock. "Oh please do not tell me you know nothing of the Antivan Crows! We are the finest guild of assassins, an object of fear throughout the lands and any man with wealthy enemies." He grinned at his smallest sister who seemed unimpressed, cocking her brow at him and crossing her arms. Zevran laughed. "Or, I should say they are. I am no longer a Crow. A fact they find unacceptable."

Fenris stood beside Sophie as he listened to the assassin drone on about his ex-guild. He did not like this man. The way he leered at the women in the group had him on edge and he could tell it had the others agitated also.

And so when Hawke agreed to help him, he was surprised. If it was his choice, he would leave Zevran to his fate and return to Kirkwall and spend the afternoon with Sophie. He could always leave, make some paltry excuse, but he did not trust the man around his woman.

The Antivan accompanied them to the Crow camp. The nearly five hours it took to trek there was test on Fenris' patience as he flirted shamelessly with the women and Hawke. The only respite he got is when he was saved from the flirting when Zevran declared him to not be his type. Too spiky, indeed.

Isabela laughed along and assured Hawke it was only in jest and so the mage grinned and joined in the banter as easily as he would if they were at the Hanged Man for Wicked Grace. Sarah blushed when the assassin gestured to her curves and fine features or her fire-red hair, telling her how exotic she looked with its vibrancy. Anders soon walked beside her in an attempt at discouraging the elf but he seem unperturbed. He then went on to comment about the similarities between his and Sophie's eye colour, both of them being a vivid amber. "We must belong together! How divine we would look!" He flicked at her silver and midnight hair with gloved fingers and she flinched away. Fenris was about to step forward and break his hand off before she spoke.

"I prefer my elves a bit more...Fenris like." She clasped his hand and pulled him away as Zevran smirked after her.

The fight with Nuncio and the Crows was a simple one, made easier by their large group and skilled fighters. Zevran flicked a knife that embedded itself into the eye socket of the 'body guard' from earlier in the day. Sophie threw her grenades and acids that herded a large group of the assassins into one corner, thus making it easy for Hawke to strike them with a chain of lightning. Sarah gathered her power and formed her sword and shield, fighting by Fenris' side to make up for the lacking muscle in their party. He was grateful that she refrained from feeding of his Lyrium as she cleaved heads in two and set people alight. He winced as he gained a gash in his back from a half-succesful back-stab, then he felt the tingling sensation of healing magic and the itch as his skin stitched itself together. He nodded his thanks to Anders and turned to the man who had stabbed him and spattered his brain matter into the sand. He vaguely heard Isabela laugh as she appeared from nowhere and struck down a Crow who had tried to sneak up on Anders.

And then it was over and Isabela and Hawke ventured to loot the camp. Fenris settled into a seat beside Sophie who was nursing a gash to her leg, the blood seeped through her well-oiled leathers. "You should have Sarah look at that, love."

She nodded in assent and put fingers to her lips and let out a low whistle. Across the camp, Sarah and Anders turned and rushed over, their mana swirling about them as they prepared to heal any wounds.

The assassin followed them over at a leisurely stroll, his arms pulled back behind his head. "Excellent, killing my former brothers in arms is oddly satisfying." He looked to Sarah and Sophie. "I've little reward to offer you all but perhaps this will service as a token of my thanks." He handed Sophie a large red-steel dagger, she took and looked it over with a critical eye. Isabela and Hawke joined them then and she handed it to Isabela who would most likely get more use from it. The pirate awed over the admittedly impressive weapon. "It is time to move on, as they say. I have a little war to wage at home and so little time." His lips turned up in a grin as he gave the group another once over. He bowed low to Isabela. "My dear Isabela, it has been a delight to see you again." He looked over the Hawkes once more. Drooling over them as one would a dinner. "You travel in fine company."

"That's it? You're leaving? What about sex?"

Sarah and Sophie's mouths nearly hit the floor and Fenris watched as Hawke choked down his rage. The Antivan laughed. "Still as blunt as a dwarven hammer, hmm? Well, why not!"

Sarah and Sophie both shouted Isabela's name in disbelief as Hawke turned on her. "I don't want you to do this!" His face was red faced beneath his stubble and small sparks flickered from his hands.

Isabela huffed, a smirk on her lips. "Fine. But there better be sex later to make up for it." Hawke visibly relaxed when he realised she had been joking with him.

Zevran smirked and looked at the Hawke sisters. "What about you two, hmm?" His accent purred at the suggestion and his eyes glistened with mischief as Sarah stammered and Sophie glared.

Anders and Fenris both stepped forward. "That depends. How much do you wish to test this 'luck' of yours?" Fenris' Lyrium flickered as Zevran merely grinned and threw his arms back behind his head, displaying finely toned arms and the shifting muscles of his pectorals to the sisters.

Anders huffed. "Is there more to know about you? Seems like it's all right there on the surface."

Zevran laughed once more and held his hands up in surrender. "Oh, I see. Fair enough, then." He grinned once more and began to wander of. "Thank you again, Champion." Then he disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke.

Sophie came and took Fenris' gauntleted hand in hers. He turned his head to look at Hawke. "Are we sure he's from a guild of 'assassins'?"

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