A/N – I thought I'd only write two chapters covering this DLC so starting a third was a surprise. More content than I expected. Hopefully I've given it my own spin like usual but writing about it without ever playing it was something I've never really experienced before.
"I suggest we stick together with Tallis," I stated. This was after she had stopped us and told us everything. What she'd told Hawke in the cell, and adding further information so we truly understood what she was doing there. She looked at me approvingly, before I glanced at Hawke.
She met my glance and looked almost helpless for a moment. I knew she'd developed feelings very quickly for her, but she was now very confused about things. What was obvious to me was the fact her feelings would go nowhere. Tallis was Qunari, here on a mission. That mean, once the mission was over, she would more than likely head home.
The conversation that followed between the pair was… flowing. Each gave their opinion on numerous facets of their own lives, their opinion of the Qunari and the Qun itself, how Tallis lived under and within the Qun, her own thoughts and even doubts on being Qunari, Tallis even asking rather personal questions of Hawke. It was a frank and honest discussion. Most of us listened in rapt silence. Hawke probed and prodded, gaining understanding, for her own peace of mind.
Hawke was convinced. So convinced that, to our surprise, she strode forward and… kissed her. Tallis probably knew it was coming but was certainly very receptive to it. When they finally broke apart, I think only because they needed to breath, Hawke simply said, "No more lies."
"I promise. No more lies. And… thank you…"
"Don't mention it." She looked around and saw us all staring, one or two of us probably smiling. "Yes, yes, I kissed her. I'm attracted, okay?"
"Ooh, Hawke…" Varric started to say, but Fenris gave him an elbow with accompanying glare.
We headed out the exit Tallis suggested, ending up on a mountain path. Again, the scenery was jaw-dropping in its beauty, such a shame we would ruin the serenity over the next however many hours as we went duke hunting. Before then, though, we were approached as we entered a clearing by an old friend.
I say that sarcastically, of course.
"I knew you were a worthless traitor the moment I laid eyes on you," the baron called out.
Hawke threw up her arms in mockery. "Baron Arlange! So nice to see you again."
The baron strode forward, confident in the group of soldiers he'd brought with him. "You filthy turnip! You humiliated me!"
A dagger went into his chest, all of us staring at Tallis, who simply shrugged her shoulders. "What? She kissed me. One good turn and all that…"
Seeing their paymaster on his knees, his guards went into a frenzy and attacked. Beyond bored with fighting all these idiots, I used my Thu'um, lighting at least half a dozen of them on fire. As they screamed while burning, we split up and dealt with the rest. Tallis didn't get too involved, slowly strolling towards the baron, who was still alive. We put those who I'd burned out of their misery before we gathered around the baron. He looked up at us. I wondered if he was going to beg for mercy. There was fear but an element of bravado as well. It didn't matter.
I rested my sword on his shoulder. "You insulted my friend."
Hawke rested her sword on his other one. "You are a rather offensive little man. Is it a case of small man syndrome downstairs? Perhaps threatened by the fact I'm a woman? Or are you simply just a pathetic excuse of a human being?" He couldn't really respond due to the dagger in his chest. "If you don't mind, Uhtred, I wish to deal with this miscreant myself."
"As you wish, my lady," I replied, bowing exuberantly as I stepped back.
Hawke lined up her sword with his neck and I swear the grin was almost evil as she swung and took his head. "Nice swing," I stated.
We were walking away before his body hit the ground. His head would end up being picked up by something or someone eventually. None of us had any real idea where we were so just followed the path we were on. After a good twenty to thirty minutes, we entered a clearing to be greeted by the strange sight of a wyvern in battle with a horde of those ghast goblin creatures, and I was impressed at the fight they were putting up.
"Um, wyvern or the others things?" Tallis wondered.
"Wyvern first. We'll mop up the others after," I replied.
The wyvern was rather distracted, turning around in circles, fending off any attack it could. But there were far too many of us with blades, while magic attacks rained down on the beast at the same time. Unlike our first fight with a wyvern, this one was over almost before began. That left us dealing with the ghast, who were now very interested by our appearance. Little bastards were like fleas, so we herded them slightly so I could use my Thu'um to deal with them.
The forest was full of enemy waiting to kill us on arrival. We'd been walking for some time, left feeling we were now well and truly lost, as we couldn't even see the chateau, when we arrived at a path constructed of stone. That raised hopes we were approaching something important. Instead, we ran into Qunari. "Tal-Vashoth!" Tallis cried as they simply ran at us and started to attack.
I did wonder how she knew, but I was too busy fighting for my life. Like all giant Qunari warriors, whether still part of the Qun or not, they were talented fighting and tough bastards to bring down. But we used magic to our advantage thanks to the fear they had of mages, though that made our two mage friends immediate targets at the same time. Varric protected them with bolts as Hawke, Fenris and I bludgeoned our way forward, Tallis showing off her unique talents at the same time.
There were roving packs of the big bastards, as we'd only just defeated one group when we stumbled into another. That one wasn't so bad to deal with, fewer numbers so we mopped them up in double quick time, or so it felt compared to some of the fights we'd been in since breaking out of the cell. But the third group was a different proposition as they had a Saarebas. I ran straight for it before it started to wield its magic. I remembered the one who'd nearly wiped our entire group in Kirkwall. The Saarebas we'd rescued years before had also been tremendously powerful.
We were now climbing a forest path, running into more and more Tal-Vashoth. They must have been based in the mountains for some reason. Perhaps we'd find out. The enemy were growing more desperate to hold us at bay. A desperate enemy may fight with more ferocity but is prone to lapses in judgement, so while the bangs on my shield were harder, responding in kind was easier.
I'd never seen a Tal-Vashoth camp before. In fact, my run-ins with them were few and far between. They made their last stand there, their leader one of the last to fall before the fighting finally ceased. I found a tree and sat down against it, checking myself for wounds, not surprised to see more than one. Merrill approached and help heal the ones that were of concern. Fenris was simply worn out, wandering the camp, searching for supplies, likely food and water.
Tallis approached the Tal-Vashoth leader, who surprised us all by speaking. I thought he was dead, considering he was covered in blood. The conversation was in Qunlat and I was no way fluent. I barely understood more than a few words. When the conversation was over, Tallis put him out of his misery. I wasn't surprised by that move, he was a dead man regardless.
"Salit is already here. He's meeting with the duke at the base of the mountain," Tallis explained.
Shit, we'd been heading up when we should have been heading down. Fenris approached, offering his hand, hauling me up. "You're tired, Dragonborn?" he asked in mild surprise.
"Getting too old for some of this shit, Fenris."
Having fought our way up, at least heading down was peaceful, passing by the numerous bodies that would be left for the ravens to pick at and for the beasts of the forest to feast on. It wasn't something that you generally thought about but it was true. Battlefields were usually cleared of bodies, graves dug, rites given, family informed. In skirmishes like this, the bodies would simply lie there until they turned into bones then dust.
Though we hurried, it was still quite the journey down the mountain, surprised to see the ruins of towers peeking out over the trees. I didn't bother asking about the ruin, the ground eventually levelling out as we approached. Tallis told us she would disappear for a moment but that she'd be back, leaving Hawke, I and the rest to complete the journey, entering into a clearing where the duke was in the process of meeting a bunch of Qunari looking fellows.
It took him a few moments to see us approach, allowing our group to spread out and get into position. I knew we'd be fighting both the duke and his men, plus the Qunari. "Champion. I should have known you would turn up."
"Oh, I just have an excellent sense of dramatic timing, Your Grace."
"Joke while you can. You will not find it funny for long."
Tallis appeared out of nowhere, grabbing a scroll from one of the duke's men before leaping out of the way. The Qunari leader, who I assumed was Salit, recognised her immediately. "I said I would stop you, Salit."
"And I said I would slay you if you tried."
"If anyone is to do any slaying, it will be me!" the duke cried. He fired a crossbow at Salit, but no bolt or arrow. It was some foul smelling goop that… We heard a roar and all of us turned to one of the nearby towards. There was another wyvern, and this one was simply enormous. "Meet Leopold," the duke stated, "Kill them all!"
Salit watched mesmerised by the leaping wyvern, not moving by the time it collided with him, the wyvern taking the Qunari in its mouth and biting down hard. Salit was dead by the time he hit the ground.
Chaos descended. The dukes' men fought the Qunari and us. The Qunari fought the dukes' men and us. We fought anyone who wasn't part of our group. Through all this, the duke was protected by his wyvern. We would have to kill off everyone else before we could even think about focusing on those two. The dukes' men could fight but they wilted in the face of the Qunari horde. I'll admit, we hung back and let the two sides tire each other out. Once all the dukes' men were dead, there were only a handful of Qunari left, and they were not going to join us to take down the duke.
We had to worry about the fact his wyvern would try and attack us at the same time. The duke was now on its back, raining down attacks that left us concerned. We forced the Qunari to the edge of the cliff where I could simply use my Thu'um, blow them off, then we turned back to the wyvern.
It was simply enormous, even bigger than the wyvern we'd fought the day of our arrival. The duke blew a horn and we heard a roar, more of his men appearing. We dealt with them while I used my Thu'um more than once against the wyvern, hoping to wither its natural defences. The duke had eyes for Hawke, Tallis and myself, no doubt trying to assess which one was most dangerous. I tried to focus on the wyvern where I could, ignoring the dukes' men unless they came too close for comfort.
The wyvern seemed to sense what I could do and took to simply charging head first at me. It obviously wasn't an intelligent beast as I could easily avoid such tactics, but it was enough to cause concern. Prosper was egging it on, so I signalled to Varric. He lined up the duke and fired, though the bolt only went through his shoulder. I'd been hoping for a head shot. You don't always get what you want, but it was enough to make the duke think.
I glanced around to see all his men were now dead. If he had any left at the chateau, they were about to lose their employer. He wasn't long for this world now and he was getting desperate, having the wyvern charge around the ruin, closer and closer to the edge of the cliff. Hawke sensed what was happened and moved us closer, egging the duke on. He fell for it.
He fired his crossbow, covering the pair of us in that foul smelling goop, which I guess was food or… something. Whatever it was, it attracted the attention of the wyvern, who burst forward at a gallop. Hawke urged me to remain still until the very last moment before we leapt out of the way, the wyvern crashing over the edge. As for the duke… We glanced over the edge to see him hanging by one hand, jagged rocks waiting far below him.
"The empress will hear of this! Orlais will burn Kirkwall to the ground! All of you will die screaming, I swear it!"
"Arrogant son of a bitch, isn't he?" I stated.
"You would have thought the first thing he'd ask for would be help, but I guess not," Hawke added.
"Do you wish to do the honours, Hawke? He hasn't insulted you like the baron, but he has just threatened our home."
She bowed slightly. "My thanks, Uhtred. Your thought is appreciated." She stepped forward and rested her foot above the hand of the duke. "Now, Duke Prosper, this is going to sound terribly cliché, but you mentioned something about dying screaming. So…" She stepped on his hand, and we listened as the duke screamed all the way to his death.
"Ugh, it's like reading bad fiction," Varric muttered.
We turned around to see Tallis searched the body of Salit, or whatever was left of it. "If the duke only knew what he nearly had in his grasp," she stated quietly, before walking to Hawke, standing inches from her. "Thank you. All of you. There's no way I could have done this without your help."
"What's on the scroll?" I wondered, noticing it already in her small pack.
"This is a list of agents throughout Thedas. Qunari like myself. Many of them have children, family, friends. They're people you wouldn't suspect. Some have even left the Qun behind. But if this list fell into human hands, they and everyone they know…"
"Would be killed," Hawke finished quietly.
"The Ariqun believes they know the risks, but what about the innocents? I… I couldn't let that happen."
"I could argue, but I won't… So what now?"
Before Hawke could say anything, Tallis kissed her. And in that kiss, I think she showed Hawke just how much she'd grown to like her in the short time they'd been together. All of us eventually had to look away as it grew rather intense. I couldn't help smirk though. At least she was happy.
"I won't ask you to stay forever, but maybe at least a few days," Hawke whispered.
Tallis clearly gave it some thought before she agreed. "I can't stay for as long as either of us would like, Hawke. I have things to do that don't involve staying in Kirkwall." There was the sound of more kissing before she added, "But I'll say I've been rather convinced to return to Kirkwall, at the very least."
The chateau was practically deserted upon our return. All we did was collect our horses and get out of there as quickly as possible. Someone would eventually end up searching for him though I doubted they'd find anything, just a lot of dead guards by the ruin. We didn't get too far before we had to stop and camp for the night. We had just enough tents, though we all hard to share, though little food. Not that it mattered. There was a sense of relief that we were still alive after everything.
"How many days has it been? Did we arrive yesterday or the day before?" Merrill wondered.
"Does it matter?" Anders retorted gently.
"No, I'm just getting used to losing track of days. Time seems to fly by sometimes."
"We've all known each other for a few years now. We're all getting a little older, some of us a little wiser," Varric stated, looking straight at me during that last bit.
Heading to bed that night, I ended up sharing a tent with my dwarven colleague. During the quiet night, I heard noises that suggested Hawke and Tallis were wasting little time getting to know the other. I know I smiled to myself, happy that my friend was finding happiness of her own once again, however fleeting it might end up being.
"Hope she doesn't end up hurting herself," Varric whispered.
"She knows it's temporary. Just a little fun before life returns to normal. It's clear they like each other."
Riding into the outskirts of Kirkwall the next afternoon, I never thought I'd be as relieved to see those city walls as I was. Stabling our horses, we walked through the city gates, Tallis and Hawke hand in hand, the rest of us following closely behind. We agreed that a couple of hours at the Hanged Man would be the right way to end what was, in the end, a successful mission.
Hawke was rather distracted nearly all the time we were there. No real surprise, so I spent my time chatting with the others while we all proceeded to get rather merry. We were there longer than planned, only leaving once the sun had disappeared and the weather noticeably cooler. We split up upon exiting, and I found myself escorting the two soon to be lovers back home to Hightown.
Walking inside, Hawke and Tallis headed straight to her bedroom. "We'll keep the noise down," she stated, Tallis giggling away. I didn't know she giggled, but that's what she did. I laughed to myself and headed to the sitting room. Gawen appeared straight away as he always did, wondering if I wanted a drink. "I'll have a brandy only if you join me."
"Of course, lord. One moment."
He had no problem doing something like that, having learned over the years I enjoyed his company. Sitting in one of the comfortable chairs next to me, he relaxed with a sigh, sipping at his glass. "Successful mission, lord?"
"Well, I'm back alive, Hawke has a new friend, and while what we intended to do originally was a ruse, the real reason why was a success. I'll put it this way; a catastrophic war has probably been averted, and lots of innocent lives have been saved."
"Sounds like you and the Lady Hawke are constantly saving lives, lord."
"Seems so but we just do what we need to do. We protect Kirkwall and its citizens from threats, foreign or domestic."
"And Hawkes new friend?"
"Won't be here long. It will no doubt be a passionate but brief liaison."
"Lady Hawke certainly seems rather enamoured by her."
"Smitten from the moment she laid eyes on her."
"Good. After what happened before, she needs at least a little happiness."
"That's something I can drink to," I said, offering my glass, to which he clinked his own.
Gawen had only the one drink before he headed to bed for the evening. I stayed up, enjoying a couple more before heading to my own. Hawke's bedroom was far enough away that I could sleep without listening to any noises coming through the walls.
Hawke was definitely loved up the next morning as we sat at breakfast, though Tallis was certainly returning any and all affection. I sat at the opposite end of the table to get away from it, though I could understand why Hawke was so thrilled. Isabela had never been there for breakfast the next morning.
With no plans, I left the two new lovers to themselves, and would do that the rest of the time Tallis remained. I had no idea if she'd stay a few days or a few weeks, but as long as she was around, I would make myself scarce. So I spent most of the day walking around Hightown, popping in to see friends. I'd barely seen Aveline lately, so visited her, and all she did was talk about Donnic. I couldn't help smile at another friend so quite obviously in love. It made a difference from the usual depression and despair that made up our lives.
Of course, in the back of my mind was what Leliana had told me at the chateau, and she was a
women of her word. That evening, just after we'd finished dinner, there was a knock at the door. Gawen opened it and escorted Leliana in to where I was sitting by the fire. He didn't announce her. Instead, Leliana tip-toed in until she was standing in front of me, my face buried in a book. I almost had a heart attack when I looked up to see her standing there, rising immediately to take her in my arms. She laughed, stating the smile on my face lit up the room.
After the very long kiss, with maybe some exploring hands as well, I sat back down and had her sit sideways on my lap, Gawen appearing with a bottle of wine and two glasses, to which we could only thank him profusely. He waved it away as usual.
"So, I take it the mission was a success?" she asked once Gawen had shut the door to give us privacy.
"Yes. As you're no doubt aware, different reason than why we'd originally travelled but the outcome was still important. Far more important than some jewel, to be fair."
"And now Hawke seems to be falling for her new friend rather hard?"
"Aye. I'm just hoping she doesn't end up hurting herself. She's a tough woman but everything that happened with Isabela left its mark on her."
"As long as she knows at heart that Tallis will leave. She is Qunari. She cannot remain here. It would be far too dangerous."
"I think Hawke knows that. She's simply going to enjoy herself. She deserves it."
"And what about you? What does Uhtred Dragonborn want?"
I took a sip of wine. "Well, he can think of a few things. What does Leliana want?" I paused before asking, "I've never asked, but do you have a surname?"
"No," she said quietly, "Mother did not have one being a servant. And I am an orphan so…" She shrugged. "When I lived in Lothering, I was simply Leliana of Lothering. Now I am Sister Leliana, Left Hand of the Divine." She paused before meeting my eyes, "One day, I would like to be Leliana Dragonborn though. Does that sound nice?"
"That is the plan eventually. Life has got in the way of my plans though."
"I'm patient, Uhtred, and you have proven to be too."
"Getting older though. Can't wait forever."
She kissed my cheek before snuggling into me. "I know. As for the here and now, I can stay for a few nights before I'm expected back. I will let the Divine know what I was up to upon my return. She will not be surprised."
"She won't judge?"
That made her giggle. "Uhtred, she knows everything about you."
"And what does she think?"
"She is intrigued more than anything, particularly in regards to this gift of yours. It is not magic, that much I know. But trying to explain you have the soul of a dragon, with the blood flowing through your veins too… Well, you can imagine how it sounds."
"She doesn't consider me a threat?"
"You've done nothing to make yourself one, so no."
I finished my wine and managed to stand up and keep her in my arms, carrying her upstairs to my bedroom. Kicking the door shut, this time there was a little urgency to getting undressed and into bed, both of us eager for intimacy. Even after all these years, Leliana was still a goddess, whether fully clothed next to me, or naked underneath me. We made love for what felt like hours, only resting when the body cried out for it, before continuing on. I'm sure we only stopped when the first rays of light appeared through the curtains, Leliana giggling away as she cuddled into me. "Got to make up for years of celibacy," she whispered.
"So you're going to wear me out then?"
"Is that a problem?"
"Is that a problem, she asks!"
I don't think anyone was up for breakfast that morning, Leliana and I only heading downstairs towards lunchtime. Hawke and Tallis took one look at us and burst into giggles as we took opposite ends of the table. We chatted quietly with each other before I suggested we head out and I'd take her on a tour of the city. That interested her, at least, so we spent the afternoon taking in the sights, though I tried to keep her interest with the gardens and parks rather than the concrete jungle that Kirkwall did appear to be at times.
Suggesting we have dinner out, I found this lovely little place that sold Orlesian food, managed to grab a small table by the window. It was expensive but worth every silver coin I threw down at the end of the meal, a reminder of the fare we'd eaten when living at her villa by the lake. When I suggested that would be the perfect place for us to finally retire once this part of our lives were over, she reached across the table to grab my hand, seeing the shimmer in her eyes. "You always think of the right things," she whispered.
"I have my moments."
"Always with me."
I was already dreading her leaving, but the next few nights were a reminder of our time shared at the villa. We relaxed in the company of each other, and spent time with Hawke and Tallis at the same time. Neither Hawke or I asked any questions about their previous relationship, assuming it was probably better left in the past. But they got on well enough that it wasn't awkward for anyone.
Tallis was the first one to depart and Hawke handled it better than I would have given her credit for. Tallis promised she would stay in contact and that they'd see each other one day, but while I wouldn't call it an empty promise, I knew keeping just the contact bit would be incredibly difficult. Once she left, Leliana and I tried not to be too obvious, though Hawke insisted she was fine, keeping herself occupied and not hanging around the house too much, allowing Leliana and I space as well.
But Leliana couldn't stay forever, no matter how much we both wanted it. The last night we were together, we made love before I held her in my arms, just… looking at her. It used to make her a little self-conscious, now she loved how I looked at her. With such love, she always told me. Even after all these years, I still felt guilt about how I'd treated her at times during the Blight, because of how I was with Solona as well. She knew I'd already carry it, though she'd insisted it had never truly bothered her.
The next day was difficult for both of us, enjoying breakfast in the bedroom before we dressed, Leliana packed her few belongings, and we headed downstairs. Hawke gave her a long hug, insisting that, if she could, that Leliana could return any time she wanted, though the three of us knew it was unlikely. But I appreciated the offered too.
Walking hand in hand, we strolled through Kirkwall towards the docks, the impressive vessel that would take her home to Val Royeaux waiting to cast off. A steward took her lone bag as she turned towards me, no shame in her tears this time. I held her close, feeling her head rest on my heart, and closed my eyes.
"We'll be together soon, Uhtred. But until then, you'll be in my heart."
"Gods, life is going to suck again for a while," I muttered, making her giggle at least, "But these few days will keep me going until then." I lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you, Leliana. Oh, before you go, I have looked into something. Know how I asked about your surname."
"Yes?"
"I found one for you. An Orlesian surname. Donadieu. Apparently it means 'Given to God', generally a surname given to orphans. You were one, now you work for the Maker. Left Hand of the Divine and the Maker. In the Makers name you work. I thought it seemed rather apt."
She smiled and leapt into me, giving me quite the kiss. When we finally broke apart, and I was ready to do many other things to her, she whispered, "That will be my surname until I take yours."
"I'll try not to take too long regarding that."
There was a last call for passengers as I noticed ropes being undone and the sails started to billow. Wishing her farewell, I watched her walk up the gangplank before it was taken on board. I waited until the ship creaked and began to move, ever so slowly, so Leliana and I had time to wave to each other. But I couldn't stand there and watch her go completely. I blew her a kiss, which she feigned catching, before I turned and headed back into the city.
Hawke was waiting for me when I returned home. I must have looked miserable as she immediately gave me a hug when walking into study. "I'm fine," I said.
"And I'm the Viscount of Kirkwall, Uhtred. Trust me, I know how it feels."
"So what do you suggest?"
"I'm thinking we enjoy a few drinks that'll probably turn into a real heart to heart. I'll cry, I'll get you emotional too. What do you say?"
I couldn't help sigh. "Well, drinks sound good at least. Everyone or just us?"
She smiled at me. "Just us, Uhtred. My partner in crime and best friend."
"Best friend?"
"Please, Uhtred. Couldn't imagine life without you nowadays."
I gave her a hug. "Well, I feel the same way too." Leaning back, I cleared my throat. "Now before we get overly emotional here, let us drink, talk, then cry."
She laughed out loud and we summoned the servants to join us, as they were always welcome, more friends than anything else nowadays. I'll admit, despite some of the topics and the feeling of melancholy at the fact that I was alone again, it was one of our best nights in Kirkwall.