Full Summary:
(Sequel to Through the Looking Glass, To You)
Deciding to remain in Thedas, Kagome sets off on a new journey: to find Fenris. It ends before it could ever really begin, and now she finds herself living in Kirkwall with the very man she set off in search for.
Kirkwall. A hotbed of blood mages. Where Templars enjoy an abundance of influence. And war with the Qunari lurks just around the corner.
Not the best conditions for the place Kagome's hoping to settle down in, but she's made her decision and she's nothing if not determined.
Besides, for her, home is less about the location and more about the person — or people, even — she makes it with.
Setting: Picks up about a month after the epilogue of Through the Looking Glass, To You.
Pairings: Fenris/Kagome; Slight Hawke/Isabela; Slight Shippo/Morrigan
Rating/Warnings: T, but will go up to M in time for graphic violence and sex. Explicit scenes of the latter will only be posted on ao3. No warnings as of yet, but I'll be sure to post any in the beginning chapter notes if anything comes up.
a/n: hey guys! this story's been a long time coming, huh? i'd hoped to have been pretty far along in terms of chapters pre-written before posting but things didn't work out that way. instead, i've got a lot of scenes written and now i'm just figuring how to fit them together and fill in the blanks.
but for a while now i've been feeling like this fic will never see the light of day and, idk, i just really want to share what i can! i'm still working on the next chapter, just a couple more scenes and i think i'll have that wrapped up, and chapter 3 is p much done barring any future plot changes that might throw a wrench into it, and after that, it's bits and pieces leading up to chapter ten. about 45k words in total lol, so like i said, lots of scenes written but still gotta stitch it all together!
but anyway, i really hope you all enjoy! let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: Obviously, neither Dragon Age nor Inuyasha belong to me.
part 1.1
Six months in the future
Be careful, Shippo once warned her of Kirkwall, Dangerous.
Surely, he had meant the Templars and the Qunari. His was not the first warning she'd received, for Kirkwall's streets ran rampant with them both. One wrong step, one careless display of her abilities would mean, at best, being branded as a strange witch and, at worst, a sword to the chest or a spear twice her size, depending on which she crossed paths with.
He couldn't have known about the mages.
Still. Should have listened a little better, Kagome thought, huffing a bitter laugh under her breath and wishing she hadn't as she almost toppled over, managing only just to keep herself from crashing face first into the wet, sewage-muddy floor.
Perhaps if she had, she wouldn't be in this mess, drugged up as she was and barely able to stand with a serial killer hot on her tail.
Present
Clang!
Kagome rolled to the left just as a blade fell at her right, carving into the broken tile floor — pieces splintered away, shattering further and spitting into the air. She shoved herself back to her feet with a harsh exhale, only to jump over a low kick that swept at her ankles.
She leapt backwards, a one-two step that put her out of reach, and palmed at the daggers strapped to either side of her hips. Twin drawn out hisses filled the air as she drew the blades from their sheathes, slowly, deliberately, and began twirling them between her fingers at her leisure.
Falling back into a defensive stance, Kagome grinned.
"Almost had me there," she said offhand as she faced her opponent, pointing with the tip of her right blade; they were circling each other now, weapons at the ready as they waited for the other to make their move.
Across from her, Fenris prowled.
"Perhaps you should move faster, then." He wore a smirk as he eyed her, dangerous and wicked, his broadsword poised behind his back; the tip of it trailed along the floor as he moved, just enough that it emitted a high-pitched whine as it scraped against tile and stone.
The tension in the air between them positively hummed. Every inch of her skin buzzed, alight with anticipation.
Kagome let out a hum, tongue darting out to wet suddenly dry lips. "Well," she said, drawling the word, but never finished.
She leapt forward, striking out with a swipe — metal clashed against metal as Fenris brought up his gauntlet in an effortless block. With her other dagger, Kagome went for his side, beneath his raised arm, the flat edge of her blade all but brushing against leather as he stepped away in the nick of time, muttering a swear under his breath.
With a breathless laugh Kagome danced away, grinning wider now, impish, if not perhaps a little giddy, as she teased, "I did say almost, so I believe I'm fast enough."
"Do you truly?"
Kagome squeaked as within a blink of her eyes, Fenris was in front of her, markings aglow as he swung. She ducked under his sword as it passed overhead, only to trip when he darted a step in, looped his foot around her ankle, and yanked.
"Shit!"
She slipped, the breath leaving her in one fell swoop as she landed flat on her back. It stunned her for the length of a breath before she was moving, about to roll aside to make her escape when the tip of a blade brushed low along her collar.
"Hah..." she panted out, freezing, then fell slack against the unforgiving floor with another breathless laugh.
Above her, Fenris raised a brow glistening with sweat. His breaths came in slow, controlled pants as he taunted her, grinning now, "Still believe you're fast enough?"
A huff escaped Kagome, incredulous, and only slightly wounded as she pouted, looking up at Fenris through lidded eyelashes. When he only snorted, Kagome let out another soft laugh and pushed his blade aside.
Sitting up now, she leaned back on her elbows to peer up at him, studying him closely with an appreciative eye. "I've never seen you move like that. That was new."
"To you, perhaps." Placing his sword off to the side on the nearby bench, Fenris turned back to offer his hand. "I've known this skill for some time now."
"Still, it's impressive." Pushing herself upright, Kagome accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her up with one smooth tug. Back on her feet, she looked up to find that they were standing close to one another, enough that the very tip of her nose brushed against his when she shifted.
Enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him where she stood.
Enough that the scent of sweat and polish, and beneath it subtle hints of… of wine and something warm and smoky, was all that she could parse.
Her throat dried as she stilled, eyes darting up to meet his, the look in his gaze rendering her further still. A heat began to simmer beneath her skin, and Kagome swallowed, soft and slow, her voice falling to a husky murmur as her gaze lowered to Fenris's lips unbidden, so very close to her own.
"Very, um," her breath hitched, heart pounding, hyper-aware of Fenris's fingers still curled around her hand, all but burning where their bare skin brushed, flaring even hotter as his grip tightened. Her voice was noticeably weaker as she finished her briefly forgotten sentence.
"Impressive…"
Fenris hummed, an absent, yet positive sound that rolled low, deep in his chest; Kagome's eyes flickered up to meet his, and she near shivered under the intensity of his stare, pupils dilated to the point that black had almost swallowed his gaze whole.
It felt like an eternity had passed before Fenris finally began to move, the corner of his mouth quirking as he drew in closer. He leaned in, angling his head slightly so, just enough to close the distance. His nose grazed along hers, nuzzling at her cheek, hot breath washing over her lips before she felt his own just barely brushing against hers, pressure mounting—
In the distance, a door slammed and the pair reared apart, stumbling.
"Hey, Fenris! I'm — oho?"
Their heads whipped around to see Hawke standing at the door to the entryway, lips already curving, dimples flashing. "I'm sorry," she said in a peculiar tone that was indicative of her unabashed lack of sincerity, eyes darting between the two, narrowing, gleaming, as she wondered aloud, "Did I... interrupt something?"
With the shit-eating grin on her face, it was a question she already knew the answer to.
Fenris let out a scoff, swift to step away from Kagome and pick up his abandoned sword. "We were only sparring, Hawke," he said, trying for nonplussed. An admirable effort all around, had the blush darkening not only his cheeks but the tips of his ears not been a dead giveaway to the contrary.
For her part, Kagome swooped down to collect her weapons to hide her own flushing face. No amount of self-control could smother that.
"Sparring?" Hawke repeated, ruthless in her mocking as she feigned scandalization. "In the foyer? In front of all your guests?" She jabbed a thumb to the decomposing slaver still shoved in the far corner — despite Kagome's personal crusade for the eviction of each and every last one of them — and gave a long, low whistle. Fenris balefully called out her name in a plea to desist, to which Hawke too happily ignored. "Fenris, how kinky."
Kagome smothered her snickers as Fenris let out a string of curses at Hawke in Tevene.
"And here I thought I only had to suffer these innuendos from Isabela," Fenris was muttering under his breath.
Hawke only laughed, an impish grin at play on her face. "Though I am sorry to interrupt," she said, this time ignoring Fenris's bone-weary sigh to wink at Kagome instead, "I didn't do so without reason. I need to head out to the pit today."
The pit? Kagome turned to Fenris as he let out another sigh, this one with an undercurrent of distaste. "Again?"
"Yep." Hawke looked just as exasperated. "Again." Seeing Kagome looking between the two at a loss, the mage explained further. "The Bone Pit is a quarry I was given partnership of last year."
"Unfortunately, it seems to have a reoccurring… pest problem," Fenris added with a grimace.
"Indeed it does," Hawke admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck, "Seemed a perfectly good business opportunity at the time once the dragon nest was cleared out.. In hindsight, though, it m-iiiight be more trouble than it's worth."
"I see…" Kagome drawled, but left it as that because, seriously? Dragons? She'd heard of them existing, sure, but she'd never actually crossed paths with one, never mind a nest full…
After Hawke left with Fenris to collect the other two to round off their party, Kagome did not linger in the estate for long. With an armful of health potions in hand, she left the estate and began the short walk towards the city's Chantry.
With little else to do, Kagome had taken to visiting the Chanter's board for odd jobs she could complete in exchange for a bit of coin. It had been about a month since she arrived in Kirkwall, and since Rylan's crew had set back to sail over a week ago and Kagome was free, or rather, freer to roam the city without concern, she couldn't help but feel… restless.
For almost a decade now, since the day she stepped into Thedas, Kagome had traveled with purpose — with a goal of some sort.
For years it had been a quest to discover and work out a way to return to her world, and once she had decided to stay after all, she had set out on a new one — one cut short before it could even truly begin.
She had found Fenris by chance, and now she lived with him, falling into a simple, but pleasant routine of sparring and taking meals together on the days he was at the estate.
It was the days he wasn't there, when he was off on a job or with Hawke, that were the worst. Left alone to her own devices with nothing to do, no task to fulfill, she found it unbearable to stay in the estate, it's vast size making it all the more empty — and the scurrying of the rats giving her chills. To keep herself busy, she often frequented the Chanter's board that was, unfortunately, mostly bare and consistently so.
Still, what minor tasks that are posted paid decently, that she couldn't deny as she tucked away her reward for her potions.
"Is that you, Serah Kagome?"
She was giving the board one last survey when she heard the call, a grimace marring her face at one that was essentially a shopping list, and a very long one at that. It melted into a smile as she turned to the sight of a familiar older gentleman with his usual armful of books.
"Serah Kalem," she greeted with warmth. "How are you today?"
Since the day of their little tumble, Kagome would often see Kalem in passing while out and about in the city, a few times a week at the very least. Kalem was one of the very few that openly greeted her on Kirkwall's streets, and so kindly at that.
Kagome was certainly no noble, and just as obviously didn't dress as one either. Once seen stepping out of Fenris's self-proclaimed estate, she was treated to the sneers many were too cowardly to direct at the man himself. More than once she'd been privy to the occasional disgusted and scornful murmurs of 'squatter' thrown her way.
As if Tevinter magisters and their revolving crew of slavers coming to and fro were so much better.
"Just fine, just fine," Kalem murmured as he stopped across from her, shifting his load. "Back again at the board, I see?"
Kagome gave a quiet laugh and held out her hands in a gesture quick to becoming as familiar as it was routine.
The older man let out a tut, exasperated but good-naturedly so, and surrendered half of his load, allowing Kagome to accompany him through the square and towards the Viscount's keep as she was wont to do whenever they crossed paths.
"I like to keep myself busy," she said over the usual noise of the city bustle, falling into step beside him, "I've gotten used to the city, but I must admit, I'm still at a loss on what to do now that I've decided to stay. There is always mercenary work, I guess," she murmured, thinking.
The thought… wasn't very appealing, nor was it really fulfilling, but she couldn't just do nothing. She had a tidy sum of coin as her savings to fall back on, but mostly, Kagome just wasn't one to remain so… idle. Fenris helped wonders, and she enjoyed catching up with him over the last few weeks, but having been so cooped up while she waited for Rylan's crew to finally depart left an itch burning at the bottom of Kagome's heels, and she had yet to be rid of it.
It was the reason at least some of the nobles were now gradually starting to tolerate her, as Kagome took it upon herself to begin tidying up the estate — an endeavor borne of boredom as well as the desire to not live in dust and squalor if she could help it.
And by some she meant their immediate neighbors, and by tolerated, she meant largely ignored unless they were otherwise and unabashedly spying on her, of course.
Already Kagome had successfully tackled the wild, overgrown garden that had gone unchecked in the back, with its questionable residents — there were a few plants that made sounds, and not at all reassuring ones; one in particular emitted strange whispers, to which Kagome gladly, and perhaps a bit too gleefully on Fenris's part, took to fire — and its creeping vines that have long gone to invade the neighbor's.
No more creepy whispers or hums or strange lights at night, and now after beating down the bushes to a more manageable height, they had an unobstructed view to spy on them from their windows. A win for them all. And excavating most of Fenris's slaver corpse guests was no doubt a plus as it likely helped with the occasional foul odor that tended to waft from the windows with the draft.
Nobles were all about appearances and their own delicate sensibilities, it seemed.
And now, Kagome even had her own garden! She never had one before! She always wanted to grow her own herbs, and it especially helped when those requests for potions and salves went up on the Chanter's Board.
"Oh no, no!" Kalem was saying, breaking into Kagome's thoughts. "A lovely young lady such as yourself shouldn't have to associate with an undesirable, rough lot like them," he exclaimed, sounding genuinely concerned. "Surely there must be some work more savory to be found within the city?"
Kagome offered a wry smile. "You're very kind, but, my talents lie right here." She reached back to pat the bow and quiver strapped to her back.
Kalem gave a soft murmur, the sound neutral and commiserating. "Well," he said, pale grey eyes lingering over her shoulder on the weapon, before they returned to her. "I'm sure you'll find your way soon, and I wish you all the luck with it, Serah."
She nodded, murmuring her thanks.
If nothing else, there was always coin to be made selling skins if need be. It was something she fell back on whenever she found herself strapped for coin, after all. However, hunting animals was not unlike mercenary work, in the sense that she would really prefer not to do it and she certainly didn't want to make a living out of it, but, beggars couldn't be choosers. At least it would have her on her feet and out of the city.
The two fell into idle conversation along the rest of their way to the Keep and said their farewells not long after that. When Kagome turned to make her way back to the estate, she heard her name called once more.
"Kagome!"
Recognizing the voice as Hawke's, Kagome turned, brows furrowing to find the mage jogging over to her. Fenris followed a few paces behind at a more casual stride, alongside Varric who raised a gloved hand in greeting.
"Hawke, hey," Kagome said, meeting her halfway, smiling at them if a little bemusedly. "I'd've thought you guys would be well on your way by now."
Hawke laughed nervously, hand falling behind to rub the back of her neck. "Ah, well, you see, about that…"
"It seems like Broody and I are the only ones willing to tag along with Hawke to that death pit she calls a mine," Varric cut in, grinning wryly, "Which makes us one sucker short of a full team."
Hawke's face fell, and she whirled on the dwarf, hissing. "You didn't have to put it like that!"
"What," Varric laughed in his best friend's face, the sound of it tinged with incredulity, "You really think Broody's gonna let you sugar coat it and trick Firefly into coming?"
Although his mouth twitched, Fenris didn't deny it.
Kagome's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, you mean you want me to come with?" she blurted out. As the three turned to her, eyebrows raised, Kagome was only briefly embarrassed at the excited note her voice had taken before she decided she really didn't care. "I'll be happy to help, Hawke!"
Hawke broke out into a grin. "Great!"
Varric stared. "You did hear me say death pit just now, right?" he asked, ignoring Hawke's shushing, hand flapping included.
Kagome only shrugged. "When are we leaving?" she asked, mentally sorting through her supplies back home. She had plenty of arrows stashed there along with those that she carried in the quiver on her back, and she would need her medical supplies of course, just in case. Would she need her sleeping roll? Would this even be an overnight trip
Kagome was practically bouncing on her feet at the thought.
Hawke's grin widened, the archer's excitement infectious. "Well, why not now?" Stepping forward, she hooked arms with Kagome before leading them off, not bothering to wait for the other two. "We'll just swing by your guys' place to pick up your gear and we'll be off!"
Fenris and Varric shared a look from where they were left standing, the former snorting. "I told you she wouldn't care," he remarked as they followed the two women. "She's always been rather generous."
Varric could only shake his head, wry. "I'd say that right there? A little more than just generosity."
They arrived at the Bone Pit to find the camp crowded with injured workers and a steady stream of more limping to join the rest coming from further south. Jansen, the leader, was helping to load the worst of them onto a cart for the city when he saw them approach, and waved them over before explaining the pest problem.
Undead.
Lots of them.
"Thank you for coming, Serah," one of the miners said, wiping the sweat from his dirtied brow with the back of his hand once he and his companion finished removing the debris that blocked the entry to where the undead lurked inside. Before setting off with their injured in tow, Jansen had pointed them east and sent two of his least tired workers to help them gain access to the newly excavated passage. "The sounds these buggers make have been giving us the heebie jeebies."
"Gonna have nightmares tonight for sure," muttered the other, a shiver visibly racking through his body.
"Not a problem," Hawke cheerily replied as she grabbed her staff from her back. Dirt crunched as she stabbed it into the dirt blade-end first before she reached over to give the second miner a sympathetic clap on the back. "You two have a good one, any forthcoming nightmares besides, of course!"
"Pests, huh?" Kagome murmured once the two had departed, staring into the entrance — pitch black was all she could see further in. Despite what the two miners said, though, she couldn't hear the usual creak and groaning that was per usual when it came to the walking dead. She side-eyed Hawke and Fenris, recalling the latter's words from earlier. "A lot of things come to mind at that — spiders, for one. Rats. Deepstalkers. Hey, even nugs."
"Oh, I miss nug," Varric murmured, sounding wistful. He walked up, coming to a stop at Kagome's left as he pulled his crossbow from its sling. With two deft flicks, the weapon gave a click and a trio of whirs as it unfolded, ready to fire. "It's been forever since I've last had it."
A hum left Hawke, amusement laced in the sound of it. "Y'know, I distinctly remember you mentioning nug being served during those Merchant Guild meetings you're so fond ducking out of."
"And if it wasn't for the fact that I'd enjoy it for all of two seconds before dropping dead from the poison laced into it, I might actually be willing to go to one." Varric paused then, reconsidering, before amending, "Only once in a while, of course."
"Seems like a waste of perfectly good nug," came Fenris's idle reply as he followed suit, weapon at the ready.
"Right? Forget trying to kill me, but wasting good food? I'd refuse to go to those meetings just on principle."
Hawke shook her head, a wry grin playing at her lips, and pulled her staff from the ground. "Everyone ready?" At the sound of their assent she stepped into the entrance, the scarlet orb affixed at the top of her weapon beginning to glow softly. "Into the breach we go, then."
Upon venturing inside it didn't take long for them to discover that the 'new passage' was, in actuality, entrance into an abandoned section of the Deep Roads — which made the three rooms of animated corpses, skeleton warriors, and traps waiting behind each door that followed unsurprising.
What was surprising was the final chamber saving the best for last with a Revenant and an Arcane Horror — neither of which Kagome had the unfortunate pleasure of crossing paths with before.
The four of them had split up in pairs to tackle one side of the room, Kagome with Hawke and her mabari, Bear, when she felt the first brush of unfamiliar magic while shooting down one of its lesser kind. Throwing up a barrier out of instinct, she turned in time to see one corpse armed to the teeth and towering over the rest, stabbing its sword into the ground before releasing a pulse of magic towards the trio.
Kagome sucked in a sharp hiss, staring as its spell hit her barrier and dissipated with no effect. "The hell?"
None of the corpses she'd fought had ever used magic before…
"That would be a Revenant," Hawke explained when she realized Kagome's confusion. She pointed her staff at the undead staggering towards them as she did, a ball of fire shooting out from it. Bear charged forward at one that managed to escape her spell, tackling it before tearing its head off clean. "Happens when one of the more powerful demons possesses a corpse, like pride or desire. That one's an Arcane Horror — a pride demon possessing a dead mage. Focus on that one first."
A sense of urgency underlaid Hawke's voice; picking up on it, Kagome followed her order with haste, immediately firing an arrow at the other corpse Hawke had pointed out as the Arcane Horror. The creature saw it coming, conjuring a barrier to block the arrow before it could reach its mark.
Annoyed, she quickly nocked another and released, this one a blazing pale lilac that lit up the room as it soared across and shattered the barrier — only to jolt in surprise, the end of her third arrow slipping from her fingers to drop back into her quiver as the Arcane Horror emitted a keening shriek as her second struck its shoulder with a burst of light, its rotten flesh turning black from contact.
Kagome's eyes narrowed. Retrieving another arrow from her quiver she nocked it, lining it up and pouring into it more power than its predecessor before releasing it square into the creature's chest — the Arcane Horror staggered back with a screech before dropping to its knees, its chest scorched in a starburst of black as it finally fell onto its back, dead once more.
Kagome glanced over to Hawke to find her watching closely in intrigued silence. "That's… never worked before."
"Oh?" The mage raised a brow, lips curling as she called forth fire to her palm and flung it at a nearby corpse staggering towards them. "Learn something new every day, or so they say!"
"Apparently so…" Kagome murmured, before she then turned her attention to the Revenant. Fenris was the one fighting it, with Varric offering support by helping take care of the less dangerous undead that tried to attack while his back was turned.
Though he wasn't struggling, there were too many for Varric to keep all at bay. As Fenris turned to parry a blow from one, Kagome saw the Revenant ready one of its own.
Bow in hand, Kagome lunged forward — for one beat, bright lilac swirled around her fist, spreading outward around the limbs of her weapon as she raised it. In the next, it sweet across the room in an arcing blade as she sliced at the air. It passed through the lesser undead with no effect, but the second it made contact with the Revenant, the creature faltered, dropping its greatsword with a forward stagger.
At the resulting clatter, Fenris drew up his knee and planted a solid kick against his opponent's chest, shoving it away to chance a look over his shoulder. His brows furrowed, gaze flickering up at the two in the distance, only to snap back to the Revenant when it began to move.
Slowly, the Revenant reached for its sword, armor creaking and groaning as it grabbed for the hilt. Armed once more, it turned its back on Fenris to look directly at Kagome instead — dragging its sword up into the air and leveling the tip straight at her.
"I think you made it angry," Hawke remarked as the creature took a threatening step towards them, sounding rather amused.
Fenris was the opposite, shooting them both an exasperated look as he tried to draw the Revenant's attention back onto himself — a futile endeavor in the end, as the creature was intent on Kagome and only her.
Stowing her bow on her back, Kagome palmed her blades as she tossed a glance over her shoulder. Hawke was currently using her staff as a leaning stick, content to watch for the moment now that they had cleared their side of the room. Bear on the other hand had already torn across the room to give Varric a helping hand. "That means it worked, if only a bit."
Hawke chuckled when she realized Kagome meant to take on the corpse herself. "Have fun then," she called out, pushing off her staff to join her dog.
Kagome watched long enough to see her raise her hand, white light circling around the corpses still fighting across the room. An unseen force knocked them clear over, before dragging them all together to the middle, and she winced when they were all drawn up into the air only to slam into the ground with enough force to create a shallow crater.
She winced again when she turned back to Fenris and the Revenant just in time to see it slam its shield against Fenris's side, knocking him to the ground with an ease one would swat an annoying gnat.
Then, without a second glance, the Revenant turned and set its unnatural sight right back on Kagome.
"About time!" Kagome heard Varric shout as she threw herself forward, a touch annoyed. "Don't think I didn't see you slacking off over there."
"Slacking?" Hawke sounded offended at the accusation. "I think you'll notice whose side still has undead left to fight, thank you very much."
With a laugh, Kagome shook her head and darted to Fenris's side, throwing up a quick barrier to block the spell the Revenant attempted to cast upon her as she danced around, out of its reach.
"You're having entirely too much fun," Fenris said as she flashed him a grin in greeting upon reaching him. And yet, even as he said that, the expression he wore was decidedly amused.
Kagome only shrugged and she would have replied had the Revenant not roared at them and began to charge.
The two broke apart in opposite directions, the Revenant following Kagome — Fenris circled around, meeting her gaze in the breadth of a second before they worked in tandem to take down the corpse together.
The Revenant's swings were not only powerful and heavy, but fast as well. Kagome was faster though and nimble too, dodging under and spinning away from its blows, distracting it as Fenris did most of the work of taking it down unimpeded.
When it came time for the final blow, Kagome drew her power into her blades and brought them down in a downward sweep, stunning the creature as twin blades of purifying light hit it point blank in the chest, rendering it immobile. It dropped to its knees.
With a roar, Fenris leapt into the air and brought his sword down in one final swing.
Leaning against the wall, Fenris stared across the room as he waited for Hawke to finish searching the bodies of the corpses for valuables before they were to pile them up for the workers to take away in the morning.
Kagome and Varric were in the back, having tasked themselves with picking the locked chests they'd found stowed away over there, leaving them to take care of the bodies.
A grunt drew Fenris' attention away from the two and he watched as Hawke yanked the helmet off the Revenant, his lip curling in distaste at the sight of the decomposing face that hid within. The mage let the body drop to the ground in favor of holding her bounty up to the light of her staff to better inspect it, before she shoved it into her bag with a hum of approval.
As Hawke dusted off her hands and moved onto the next, Fenris shook his head and left her to her looting, his gaze drawn back to the two rogues across the room.
At the moment they were making a race of who would pick their locks first, one that he watched end with the sound of Kagome's triumphant laugh as the lid of the chest in front of her popped open just mere seconds before Varric's followed.
"I must say…" Fenris turned once more at Hawke's voice, her sentence trailing off in favor of laughing under her breath. Done with her search, she had joined him in watching their two companions. "Kagome seems to be settling in all right."
His brows furrowed. "Were you worried, Hawke?"
Humming, she took a moment to consider. "Hm, perhaps a bit," she replied, her grey gaze flickering back to meet his. Fenris shifted, uncomfortable with the gleam he spied swirling within. "The only time I've ever seen her is when I drop by to visit or drag you away." The gleam sharpened. "Now that I think of it, it almost feels as if you've been hiding her away…"
Scoffing, Fenris turned away at the teasing lilt her voice had picked up. "You forget Kagome has only recently been able to walk Kirkwall's streets freely."
Hawke gave another hum, one that signaled she didn't quite believe him.
"I'd like to introduce her to the others."
Fenris blinked, due in part because of the change of subject, as well as the question itself. "Are you asking for my permission?" His reply came slowly. It wasn't as if he had control over how and with whom Kagome spent her time, and that Hawke would ask had thrown him.
The mage laughed at the question. "Should I? I was merely sharing my thoughts, as well as asking your opinion."
Fenris quieted, becoming thoughtful. But it did not take very long for her reasoning to dawn on him — why else would she hesitate if none other than for their companions themselves and above all, their safety. "You're talking about the mage."
Hawke became more serious then, nodding. "More like both of them. Kagome doesn't seem to have the highest opinion of blood mages," she said, ignoring his dark mutter of "does anyone?" as she continued, "And though Anders doesn't really shout, 'I possess a spirit inside of me!' just by looking at him… something tells me that won't quite matter with her."
Meaning Kagome's abilities.
He had wondered when Hawke would mention it. When she had initially pulled him aside to talk in private the day they had reunited and never asked, he assumed she was being respectful.
"… You may be right," Fenris admitted as he ruminated over Kagome's unique sensitivity to magic. He knew she could sense magic in use just the same as he, but aside from that and being able to differentiate the magic being used, he wasn't aware how far her ability to sense extended.
Kagome would likely sense Anders's spirit, that much he believed, but in Merrill's case… he couldn't be sure. Kagome had never mentioned such a thing before, sensing a blood mage at first glance.
"Are you wondering how she may react upon meeting them?" Fenris quietly asked, watching Hawke closely, but her expression gave away nothing but silent contemplation as she waited for his answer.
He gave it honestly.
"She'd be wary, and rightfully so, but Kagome is not the type to go running to the Templars crying maleficar or abomination." More grudgingly and after a sigh, Fenris added, "Unless they're actively hurting someone, she'd be more than willing to give them a chance before making her judgement."
Hawke laughed, the sound soft and wry as it came under her breath. "It's a wonder you two get along as well as you do."
Fenris averted his gaze — she wasn't wrong to wonder, after all. "We didn't at first," he admitted, recalling the first couple of weeks they traveled together. "You might remember I once mentioned how we'd met just after I ran from Danarius, after… after the Fog Warriors."
His voice dropped, a rueful tone taking hold as he shifted on his feet. "I was… distrustful to say the least. And when I discovered her abilities, I…" He paused, grimacing.
Fenris raised his hand, holding it in front of him — the very same that had once taken Kagome's throat and squeezed it tight between its fingers with hesitation Without mercy.
He could remember it so vividly — striding up to her, fresh from ripping the heart from the chest of the very mage Kagome had protected him from, the stricken expression shifting to uncertainty, to fear as he approached her. Could only imagine the terrible expression upon his own face at that moment.
He could remember the frantic flutter of her pulse, even through the leather of his inner palm, the pitiful whistle she made as she struggled to drag in what little air he'd allowed. The thin rivulets of blood trailing down her neck from where he dug in the sharp points of his gauntlet.
Remembered how it was only the pleading in her tearful, red-rimmed eyes staring up at him, the faint memory of the kindness she'd shown him over the few weeks past haunting him from the back of his mind that, in the end, allowed his grip to slacken so she could plead her case.
The sound of another laugh coming from Kagome across the room tugged Fenris back to the present, and he let his hand fall back to his side, forcing himself to meet Hawke's gaze, watchful and patient as they always were in heavy moments such as these, and solemnly confessed, "I nearly killed her for it."
Hawke blew out a slow breath through her teeth, eyes having gone wide as they dropped to his hand, connecting the dots left unsaid. But after a moment for that to settle in, she met his gaze once more and raised an eyebrow, a touch disbelieving. "And she traveled with you still?"
Fenris shrugged. He did not understand Kagome's reasoning any more now than he did back then. Kagome would have been well within her right to go her separate way after his callous treatment towards her.
And yet, she brushed it off and put it behind her to be forgotten once she heard his explanation and apology.
"I take it you're considering adding her to our… merry band of misfits, as Varric so loves to put it?"
Hawke's head tipped to the side, considering the idea. "Would that be a problem?"
"I enjoy fighting by Kagome's side," Fenris said frankly. "And clearly she is enjoying it as well." He had teased her for it, when Kagome once said that she enjoyed the company.
He did not realize how true that was until now.
Watching her, she seemed to thrive in it. Across the room an amulet dangled from her fingers as she showed it to the dwarf, the corners of her mouth lifting in response to whatever Varric had said, before she tossed it deftly for him to inspect closer.
Only a few times before had she and Varric met, and yet one wouldn't know it by the way they interacted. The same went for her and Hawke, as he made sure to keep an eye when the fighting began, only to find there was no need to… to worry, as they worked together with no issue.
Perhaps he was worried Kagome would have a more difficult time settling in Kirkwall than he first thought, but it obviously there was no need.
How lonely she must have been, though, when she traveled alone…
Fenris shook himself out of his thoughts, turning back to Hawke once more. "If you have a need for her assistance, I've no doubt she would be willing to lend a hand. But perhaps you should ask her yourself?"
"Oh, I will." A conspiring smile broke out across the mage's face, one that left him distinctly uncomfortable. "Had to run it by you, though, see if you're willing to share after all."
The air in his lungs left him in a short huff. "You see things that are not there," Fenris muttered as he pushed from the wall, shaking his head. Grabbing the first corpse he came across, he stalked away with it in tow — though it felt more like he was running than he'd like to admit.
With Hawke, however, one must choose their battles.
"You say that, but I know what I walked in on this morning!" she called out after him, always one to have the last word. And so loudly at that.
"What's this now?" Varric's head whipped around, perking up and eyes gleaming, reminding him much of the canine currently sniffing at Hawke's boots. Beside him, Kagome had gone wide-eyed, gaze darting between himself and Hawke. "What, pray tell, did you walk in on, Hawke?"
With a quiet groan to himself, Fenris dropped the corpse onto the pile. "Our morning spar," he cut in with a roll of his eyes before Hawke could answer. There was no doubt she would exaggerate, and then they would never hear the end of it.
"Oh?" And yet, despite his intervention, the sound Varric made was decidedly amused, a touch sly. The smirk on his face was of the same ilk that one felt the urge to physically reach over and smack off. Fenris busied himself with grabbing another corpse instead. "Perhaps we should take to knocking from now on?"
"As if you would bother," Fenris snorted, tossing another corpse onto the pile before shooting the dwarf a baleful look from over his shoulder. "If nothing else, this will only give you more incentive to do the opposite."
With their job finished, the four of them took a brief break in the mine's camp to rest up and eat before setting back out on the road again.
"So Firefly," Varric began not too long into their walk back to Kirkwall. "Couldn't help but notice earlier that you were pretty quick to tag along with us today."
Kagome ducked her head. From the sounds of it, he'd been sitting on the question ever since they'd left the city. "I did, huh?" She laughed a little, rueful. There was really no denying it. "I guess you could say… I've been a bit restless of late?"
Fenris looked over at her, concern in his expression. "You've never mentioned feeling so before."
"Ah, well…" Kagome trailed off, tugging at the strap of her pack, eyes sliding away. "It wasn't like it could be helped," she hedged. "At least, not at first, what with Rylan's crew still out and about. And once they left, it was a lot better. But… You know I've never stayed long in one place, not without reason."
Hawke coughed, the sound of it clearly trying to smother a laugh and failing horribly. "What a roundabout way of saying: I'm bored."
"Hey," Kagome protested, albeit weakly, before confessing, "Yeah, alright, I've been kind of bored. I've been looking for work but the Chanter's Board only offers so much, and very little to be desired at that…"
"Well, you're in luck!" Hawke trailed over to sling an arm around Kagome's shoulder, giving her arm a little pat. "If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, that is. There seems to be no end in sight to the work that finds me, and it's almost never a one-woman job. Interested?"
For a moment it struck Kagome that Hawke would offer, and so readily at that. She glanced over at Fenris, but his expression didn't give away much past him patiently waiting for her answer as well, a glint of interest in his eyes. Looking back at Hawke, she found the mage had tilted her head and was peering down at her with an even gaze.
"Very," Kagome answered honestly, the word coming out on a sudden exhale.
Hawke grinned. "That settles it then! And even better, tonight's our weekly game of Wicked Grace. You should come and meet the rest of our friends — after all, what better way to get to know everyone than over a round of drinks and a game of cards?"
"And if it ends up in a fist fight, well, that only brings us all the more together, right?" said Varric, smirking.
"Do your games usually end in a fist fight?" Kagome laughed.
"It's Wicked Grace," Fenris said, as if that explained it — which, in her past personal experience, it really did. "Most of us are rotten cheaters, it's just some are much worse than others."
Kagome was grinning so wide, her cheeks were beginning to hurt. "Now I'm looking forward to it."
so there it is! for those that have played the game, you *might* have an idea about what's going on :3c for those who haven't, well, it's gonna be a ride lmao
hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter, hopefully i can finish the next soon! let me know your thoughts!
til next time~
rainlily