The Years in Between 49

Thanks again for all the amazing reviews! Hope you're all enjoying it! And yes, I did have to take a line from the DLC Legacy, just because I found it hilarious. Xxx


The Deep Roads seemed darker, longer, and more dangerous than what Hawke had ever experienced. When she first came down here, she felt almost safe as she was with people she knew, but she didn't know how Zevran and Oghren fought, so that was a problem in itself. Oghren was naturally calm, as a dwarf from Orzammar, he would have ventured into the Deep Roads and lost thaigs often. While Hawke and Fenris had ventured down before, they had never been at this depth before. She could only imagine how Sebastian and Merrill were feeling.

They had been down here two days and were almost a day's journey from the route which would intercept the Warden… if it even was her. Hawke couldn't help but feel cynical; the Warden had been dead since she killed the Arch Demon over five years ago. How in the Void could she be alive? A deal with a demon? Blood Magic? Or was this all a ruse? A poor rumour that got out of hand?

Whatever happened, it would break Zevran's heart if she wasn't alive.

And that would be just too painful to watch.

"Champion! Hurry! We have had enough rest, time for us to get on the move! If we arrive late, we would miss her and everything would be a waste!" Zevran laughed heartily, before he picked up his water skin and took a long swig.

"Careful Zevran, we don't want to use up all our water before we get there. We might not have much for the return journey." Sebastian warned softly, only to be drowned out by a laugh.

"Ah, I'm sure my Anna Maria will have some supplies. She always carried extra. And by that, she made Alistair and I carry them," Zevran smiled, and missed the look Hawke sent to Fenris. They both knew it was not likely that they would find her, but did he?

"Well, we should move out." Hawke picked herself up and began to lead the way. The large pillars were collared a dark red probably from the colour of the stone used to craft them. The mind boggled at this place. The intricate carvings, vast spaces and detailed road… it was shockingly beautiful. Hawke drew herself out of her thoughts as she heard a very strange conversation behind her.

"Ooohh, I'm an elf! Trees are pretty! Tra la la!" Oghren mocked loudly.

"I… I do not speak like that…."Merrill blushed furiously.

"Yeah you do. All you forest elves are." The red headed dwarf scoffed.

"Do you mean the Dalish?" Merrill asked and he shrugged.

"Whichever of you live in the woods. Seriously, there was one elf in the Wardens who was a crazy bitch. Heh, reminded me a little of Branka, but I never got to, grease the wheel, if you catch my drift."

"Oh, did you help the merchants out? I hear sometimes they have trouble with cart's because some of them are so old."

"Think about it Merrill." Hawke chimed in, and watched as the Dale slowly turned a deep shade of red, much to the amusement of her fellow travellers. Hawke grinned before she glanced back at Oghren. "Oghren, how did you become a Grey Warden?"

"Well you see, sweetheart, it was a personal favour to King Alistair, you understand how important I am back in Ferelden, eh? Hehe, I'm a pretty big deal."

"You are more the fool, no?" Zevran smirked, ignoring the glare from the dwarf.

"Whatever. Anyway, after Denerim, I wanted to join the Wardens, for my own reasons. I thought I would be put in charge, but nooooo. They get this whelp of a Warden, barely off the teat, and put him in charge! I was much better suited for the job! Better looking to," Oghren laughed, and Hawke listened to it echo down the long pathways. "But he was a good kid. Took on a lot of trouble makers."

"Ever heard of a mage named Anders?" Hawke asked jokingly.

"Anders! By the Stone how is he? We had a good time in Amaranthine, plenty of jokes in all." Oghren smiled and Sebastian scoffed.

"Obviously not the Anders we associate with. He's always so miserable."

"What? Does he still hang around with Justice?" Oghren raised an eyebrow as Fenris chuckled.

"More than you know."


"This is where we should find her." Zevran smiled as he looked across the roads for any sign of his love.

"Looks like the way forward is blocked." Hawke sighed as she looked upon the collapsed road. Why was it always the roads she was in collapsed? She gestured to her left. "Maybe those tunnels can get us around?"

"Ah, if I know my Warden, which I do, then everything will fall into place for us to meet her." Zevran grinned and Hawke sighed, placing a hand carefully on his shoulder.

"Zev'… I know you miss her, but… I don't want you to get your hopes up for them to be shattered." Hawke stepped back as he growled at her.

"And you know she is dead? What if she is alive?"

"She's dead Zevran. You saw her body yourself. I don't know what this could be, or even if the rumours are true…" Hawke ruffled her own hair with a sigh. "Just try not to get to hopeful."

"I should have expected some would not believe. But she's alive! She… she has to be." Zevran sighed and Oghren grunted.

"Whatever the problem is, we'll find out. Now come on, this pity party is making me sick." The dwarf grumbled as he set off down the tunnels. Zevran glared at Hawke before he followed. Hawke sighed when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"He is obviously still distraught about losing her." Fenris said soothingly to her. Hawke smiled before she nodded, following the group. The silence was almost unbearable. Obviously Zevran was still upset about what Hawke had said, and an idea came to her mind on how to cut the tension.

"So, Fenris… we haven't spoken much since…" Hawke trailed off, watching as he blushed with the eyes of the group on him.

"You wish to do this now? Here, in front of everyone?" He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, watching as she smirked.

"Mmm, kinky." Hawke smiled as his jaw seemed to fall open as their group laughed.

"That's not what I… never mind." Fenris sighed and Zevran laughed heartily.

"Oh, this is suddenly very interesting." The Antivan chucked as he turned back to face them. "I do so very much like kinky things."

"You're into a lot of weird shit, elf." Oghren groaned and Hawke winked at Fenris playfully, who just scowled back at her.

"What you may call 'weird' I call… adventurous." Zevran purred softly. Hawke laughed quietly, and then focused back on the halls.

"Do you hear that?" Fenris stopped mid walk to look around.

"Wait," Oghren grunted. "I smell something." He sniffed the air with Fenris listened carefully. Oghren opened his mouth, a worried and almost fearful expression across his face. Hawke was about to ask what it was, when the dwarf let out a massive burp that seemed to echo through the tunnels.

"Maker's breath, what am I doing here?" Sebastian mumbled.

"I thought it was because Hawke asked you to come?" Merrill blinked at Sebastian, and watched as he rubbed his temples in frustration.

"That rumbling was you?" Fenris asked in disbelief, while Oghren nodded with his usual grin.

"That's just my dwarven abilities. I can do a lot of things with my mouth, if you catch my drift." Oghren winked at Hawke who began to giggle.

"Oh Oghren, I'm flattered! But I prefer my men taller and lankier." Hawke blew a kiss to Fenris, who just scowled at her.

"Aye, but come on. Hopefully my belching didn't scare her off."Oghren grunted as they made their way through the abandoned tunnels. Occasionally they stumbled across a nest of Deep Stalkers, or a chest containing a few silvers, but little else. Hawke felt the gradual decline in the path, they were going deeper. Deeper into this tomb of bones and dusty relics, with absolutely no chance of finding the Warden.

At first, Hawke had remembered the mage who used her mother. The Blood magic made her come to life after attaching several new body parts to her. The thought alone still disgusted her. But her mother had been alive when that had happened, and the Warden wasn't. Or maybe it was just a simple necromancy spell, so she was tied to the will of an arrogant mage, who obviously thought they could control her. But if that was the case there was only one question to be asked.

Who would summon her body?

Fenris nudged Hawke, and she saw they had just entered a large thaig, filled with crumbling buildings, old bones and who knows what else. If they were to find the Warden, they had to do it here.

"I'm just curious, how can you be certain that the Warden will take this path?" Sebastian asked Zevran with a raised brow. The assassin chuckled softly before he smiled.

"Because I know."

"And what do you know?" The prince scoffed.

"Just listen, my friend. Just listen."

Silence.

Nothing but silence.

The endless quiet made Hawke feel uneasy. There was absolutely nothing he-

A woman's voice.

Hawke turned to Zevran who was looking out on the thaig with wonder.

"It's her." He whispered. That's all he said before he rushed through the thaig. Hawke followed quickly behind, and heard the group follow. It couldn't be her. It just couldn't. It was probably just some explorers that got lost. Hawke shook her head as she stopped next to a shocked Zevran. He was watching as two women were arguing.

"No! Morrigan, I will not do this anymore!" The elf shouted at the mage with dark hair.

"Are you forgetting that I saved you? I have done nothing but try to keep you safe." Morrigan cut her hand dramatically through the air to prove her point. "Without me, you would be dead in that tomb."

"Maybe that's where I belonged! You had no right to endanger Thedas as you did!"

"It is done now. We must hurry out of this darkspawn ridden place."

"WARDEN!" Zevran shouted drawing their attention, and Hawke saw the Warden for the first time. She looked rather thin and pale, but that was probably from being dead, her dirty blond hair was tied in a messy ponytail and blue eyes stared back at her.

"Z-Zevran?" She stuttered out and Morrgian stood quickly.

"I will find the child, keep them busy." And with that the witch vanished into thin air.

"What… what are you doing here?" The Warden whispered and Zevran scowled as he walked towards her.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? You were dead!" Zevran shouted, and stopped as she took a step back.

"Don't… please just… I know you're upset. But I can't stay." She said sadly to him.

"Why? Why not tell me what you intended? Am I that worthless to you? I was a roll in the dirt when it suited you, no?" Zevran shouted, the venom dripping of his tongue.

"No! Zevran I love you. I will always love you… but you had to move on, and you did! So don't act like the victim here."

"The victim? How dare you. I never got over you; I never stopped thinking about you!"

"Really? I left Morrigan for a few days to travel to Antiva, if just to see you. And what did I find? You among Maker knows how many whores! So do not act innocent." Anna Maria glared at him.

"That is unfair!"

"No! What's unfair, is when I have to leave the man I love, I find him with whores! And when I try and forget him, he appears from nowhere to find me. That's unfair!"

"At least whores look beautiful after all this time." Zevran smiled and Hawke flinched.

He was a dead man.

"You ignorant, conceited, bastard!" She shouted as she stormed toward him

"Oh, the puppet can move! Go get me your master," Zevran snarled as she approached.

"Twenty silvers she kills him." Hawke nudged Fenris who nodded with a smile.

"You know what? Fine! Have your whores, that's all you ever wanted anyway, just sex and then I was useless."

"That is not true and you know it. You left me!"

"I had to!" She shouted back, the noise carrying in the thaig. She hadn't even noticed them, as her eyes were firmly on Zevran. "I'm a Grey Warden Zevran. I can't have children! I can't grow old with you! Maker, I don't even know how many days I have left because of the taint! I didn't leave you because I wanted to, you deserved better." Anna Maria shouted, tears glistening in her eyes.

"We never discussed children. It doesn't even matter, you were never pregnant."

"Yes I was!" Anna Maria shouted and Zevran took a step back.

"What?"

"Oh come on, Zevran. With all the sex we had it would be a bloody miracle if I didn't get pregnant at one point."

"They did do it a lot." Oghren grunted and Anna Maria glanced back at him but Zevran grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What happened?" He begged and the Warden sighed.

"It was when we finally let Alistair cook for the week. I was throwing up at all times, he thought it was his cooking, but Wynne knew better. But I lost it to the taint before we could get to the Dalish…" She sighed softly and looked into Zevran's golden eyes. "I am so sorry, Zevran."

He just kissed her.

"Damn it," Hawke pulled the money out and passed it to Fenris.

Zevran pulled her close while she ran her hands through his hair. Hawke felt herself blush as the Warden let out a moan. She turned as she saw Zevran tearing the clasps of her armour.

"Let's give them a little while."

"Nah, I wanna see this." Oghren leered before Fenris pulled him back by his beard.

"Have some dignity dwarf."

"Let go of my beard, you nug humping piece of shit!"

"Calm yourself. We will speak to them in but a moment."


In but a moment.

A moment my ass.

Hawke groaned as she heard yet another scream of pleasure from the thaig. They had been going at least two hours. TWO FRIGGIN HOURS! How horny could one couple be?

Well… Zevran was involved, so maybe this was standard.

Hawke sighed as she sat herself down next to Fenris. He smiled at her before he took out a water skin and handed it to her. She took a swig before she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why do you have Aggregio Pavalli in your water skin?"

"Because it's a special occasion." He chuckled taking it back from her.

"The anniversary of your escape?" Sebastian asked, but Fenris shook his head.

"No, we celebrated that by scamming the Abomination out of more coin. This is more special." Fenris turned to Hawke and raised the contained. "It is exactly the one year anniversary of you defeating the Arishock." He smirked and Hawke took the water skin from him.

"Thank you. Thank you. As beautiful as this award is, I feel I must share it with my friend who was there that day; Serah Fenris!"

"But it was you who told me to wait with the Abomination by the stairs to Lowtown."

"And it was you who suggested to be prepared and learn their language."

"But you were the one who fought him."

"Ah, you are forgetting how you saved me from that Sten."

"Oh shut up and fuck already." Oghren grumbled. Fenris blushed and Hawke laughed loudly.

"We already have that one covered,"

"Hawke!" Fenris glared at her. Hawke turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Oh my friends, you can come back now. My Warden is now thoroughly satisfied." Zevran purred and a soft chuckle followed.

"As satisfied as one can be with Zevran." She smiled and Zevran gasped.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means," She laughed as Hawke and her companions approached. "Oghren! It's good to see you!" She shook the dwarfs hand and he laughed.

"That's Grey Warden to you. I took the joining and am now officially a Commander." Oghren grinned and she scoffed.

"What, they were hiring for a drunken monkey warden?"

"Very funny." Oghren chuckled and the Warden turned away from him and smiled at Hawke.

"I don't think we've met. I am Anna Maria Tabris, of the Grey Wardens."

"I'm Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall." Hawke grinned as they shook hands, "And these are my companions, Fenris, Sebastian and Merrill."

"Yes, yes, this is all very good, but my Warden. How are you alive?" Zevran asked and everyone looked at the Warden. She brushed her hair from her eyes as she sighed heavily.

"It's a long story, so I'll give you the shortest version that I can… When I killed the Arch demon, I died. And that was it. But Morrigan found me. She revived me, but my body still contained the soul of the Arch Demon." Anna Maria said and Merrill gasped.

"Is that… like being possessed?" The dale asked carefully.

"Kind of. I could hear its thoughts, feel its needs. I wasn't truly myself. But Morrigan took me north to Tevinter while she tried to keep me separate from the demon. We found an orphan there, and Morrigan performed a ritual that gave the boy to the spirit of the Arch demon, and I was finally me again. It took us all sometime to truly recover from the ritual, and eventually we began to head south. I knew Morrigan wanted to get us to the Wilds, but little else." The Warden sighed before she gasped. "MORRIGAN!" She sprang to her feet, grabbed her daggers and rushed down the tunnels.

"WARDEN!" Oghren shouted as they began to race after her. The Warden was fast though, and they almost lost sight of her twice.

"MORRIGAN! ELI!" Anna Maria shouted as she ran through the tunnels but she stopped in an open space and flung her daggers down in frustration. It was obvious there had been a camp here recently, but it had been abandoned. Zevran wrapped his arms around her and whispered something in her ear. She relaxed and sighed heavily before she smiled.

"You're right. I think it is time for me to go back." She kissed him softly. "Come on then, I have an audience with a king."


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