Kelsey's stomach was in knots as her horse led her into the capital city of Dairsmuid. It had been more than a year since she had seen or even heard from any of her friends. After spending three months hiding from the templars in the Vinmark Mountains, Kelsey and her companions decided to part ways because they figured they would have a better chance of not getting caught that way. Upon their departure, they all agreed to meet on the First Day after next. It was Isabela's idea to have the gathering in Dairsmuid, saying that Rivain was much more forgiving about offenses toward the Chantry.
After a few more weeks alone in the mountains, Kelsey took those words to heart and began making her way north. She ended up settling in a cabin outside a small village just north of the Rivaini city of Ayesleigh. She learned to live off the land and kept to herself. It was a lonely life, but she made due. The one thing that kept her going all that time was the fact that she knew she would see her friends again, but now that the gathering was so close, she began to fear that she would be the only one to show.
Once inside the city, Kelsey stopped someone for directions to the inn where she and her companions were to meet. When she arrived, she immediately began to have her doubts about the place. It was a rundown old ramshackle building in the most rundown part of the city. She checked the name on the weather beaten sign to make sure it was indeed the correct place and, much to her chagrin, it was.
The mage walked in through the door and her senses were immediately assaulted by the smell of stale piss and vomit. Kelsey couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of it all. The inn was so much like the Hanged Man that she could have almost sworn she was back in Kirkwall. No wonder Isabela picked that particular place.
The bald man behind the bar leered at her with his one good eye. "What can I do you for, sweetheart?"
"I would like a room for the night. I'm supposed to be meeting some friends here."
"I don't know about any meeting, but it'll be fifty silver for the room. Meals are extra."
Kelsey nodded and counted out the required coin from the small pouch at her hip before placing the money on the bar. The bartender clamped a meaty fist around her offering. He pointed the thumb of his other hand toward the steps. "Up the stairs. Second door to your right."
"Thank you" nodded the mage before going to find her room.
After stowing away her things, Kelsey sat on the side of the lumpy mattress and looked up at the clock with the cracked face sitting upon the mantle. She was unsure of what to do next. Should she go downstairs and search through the crowd of people to see if there was anyone she recognized? Or should she simply stay put and take a little nap after her long journey?
In the end, she opted for the second choice. It wasn't the most comfortable bed she had ever slept on by any stretch of the imagination, but it was better than her bedroll. It took a good deal of time for her to finally fall asleep, but she managed it somehow. When she woke, it was well after dark and the growling of her empty stomach told her it was way past her usual mealtime.
She made her way down the stairs and found the only empty table in the room which happened to be in the darkest corner. The barmaid took her order and within minutes, she was dipping her spoon into a bowl of thick fish chowder. Before she even got her first bite to her lips, she felt a hand upon her shoulder and turned to see two hooded figures towering over her. Instinctively, Kelsey called forth her magic and sparks of electricity crackled in her hand as a warning to the strangers.
"Easy Hawke" she heard a familiar voice say.
"Aveline?" The other woman nodded before pushing back the hood of her cloak. Kelsey immediately jumped from her chair and threw her arms around the older woman in a warm embrace. "It's so good to see you. Sit down and I'll order you both a pint."
The red-headed woman smiled over at her husband. "I'm sure that Donnic would enjoy a pint, but I'm afraid I have to decline." She patted a large bulge at her waist.
Kelsey's eyes went wide. "You're pregnant?"
"Either that or I have really let myself go since we last saw each other. I'm due at the end of next month. The healer said that it's a boy."
"Congratulations" Kelsey grinned and hugged the other woman for a second time.
"Wow, I feel sorry for that kid" another familiar voice piped in from behind them.
"Isabela!" Kelsey cried and embraced the pirate.
After they all settled around the table and everyone ordered drinks and food, the four companions began swapping stories about what they had been up to over the past year and a half. Aveline, along with her husband, had returned to Ferelden where Donnic had secured a position as one of the personal guards for Arl Teagan of Redcliffe. Until her pregnancy, Aveline had worked as a captain of the village's militia. Isabela had busied herself doing what Isabela did best. Once she got the ship back which she had procured from Castillon, she went back to plundering and pillaging on the open sea.
Kelsey had finished her meal and was on her third mug of ale when Varric showed up with Merrill in tow. He told them that he had found the Dalish woman wandering around the city slightly panicked because she was lost. Varric, it seemed was doing well in the Merchant's Guild in Cumberland and Merrill had been traveling throughout Ferelden searching for Dalish artifacts.
"I'm surprised we haven't run into one another Merrill" Aveline mused.
"Oh, I try to stay away from towns and villages as much as possible. I'm still an apostate, you know."
"But King Alistair freed the Circle of Magi in Ferelden, didn't he?" Donnic asked.
"Technically, I suppose he did. But that doesn't mean that it isn't still dangerous for apostates there. After what happened in Kirkwall, a lot of templars have gone rogue. They don't care about the law or the Chantry. They simply kill any mage they find outside of the tower."
"That's terrible" Kelsey observed. "And the King just lets it happen?"
"If they are caught, they are punished, but there is only so much that he can do. He may be king, but he is still only one man, after all. Besides, there are a lot of people in Ferelden who are very unhappy with that edict, so they tend to just look the other way."
A man with a black hooded cloak, whom Kelsey had not noticed, was standing behind her chair. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard him say, "That's typical."
She looked up in time to be greeted by a pair of warm amber eyes. She stood and wrapped her arms around Anders' neck in a hug that lasted a bit longer than it probably should have. Even though they had made the decision to end things even before the battle had taken place, she still missed the man who was her lover and partner for the better part of three years.
"I wasn't sure you would be here" she whispered into his ear.
"I would never give up the chance to see you, Kelse. You should know that."
For the rest of the evening and until the sun began glimmering its first rays through the tattered leather curtain covering the inn's one window downstairs, Kelsey and her companions kept each other company. It was almost like old times. They laughed and told stories just like they had always done when they used to get together at the Hanged Man. When everyone was ready to finally retire, they agreed to meet back there that afternoon for one final late breakfast before parting ways once again.
It had been a perfect evening, perfect with one exception. Only one person hadn't shown up, the one person Kelsey was hoping to see more than anyone else, Fenris. As she lay down in her rented bed, she wondered why he hadn't come. Maybe something had happened to him. Maybe he had been captured. Maybe he had been killed. The dark-haired mage couldn't stop the tears that began to trickle down her cheeks.
Although she loved Anders, even after everything he had done, a part of Kelsey's heart would always belong to Fenris. Fenris was her first true love and when he walked out on her the night they made love, a large part of her went with him. She had wondered so many times when she was all alone in her cabin over the past year, what would have happened if she hadn't turned to Anders? Would Fenris have eventually come back to her? That thought tortured her and kept her awake too many nights to count.
After breakfast a few hours later, everyone said goodbye. There were warm hugs and kisses on the cheek as all of Kelsey's friends promised to visit. The decision was made, if at all possible, they would meet on First Day every year like that. When everyone was gone and Kelsey had packed her things, she sighed as she took one last look at the table where her friends, her family, had been just moment before. At least she had something to look forward to next year.
"I apologize for my tardiness. I got here as soon as I could. I hope I am not too late."
Kelsey's breath caught in her throat at the sound of the low tone of the all too familiar voice. She turned to see Fenris standing behind her and the sight of him caused her heart to leap within her chest. His platinum blonde hair was longer than she had ever seen it, just past his shoulders and framing his face. Gone was the spiked armor he always used to sport. It had been replaced by a pair of black suede trousers, a black and silver tunic, black linen shirt, black leather boots and a long-sleeved black and silver suede duster. He looked more handsome than Kelsey had ever remembered seeing him.
"Fenris!" she cried as she leapt into his arms. "I was so afraid that something had happened to you."
He gave an easy laugh that was music to Kelsey's ears. "You should know better than that Hawke."
She pulled back just enough to gaze into his deep green eyes. "I can't tell you how much I've missed you, Fenris."
He smiled. "I've missed you too Hawke."
He stepped away from her and pulled out a chair at the table. "I assume that I have already missed the others, but perhaps you and I could catch up over a glass of wine?"
"That would be lovely, Fenris" she replied.
Kelsey discovered that Fenris had been working as a free-lance mercenary throughout the Free Marches and Nevarra since their parting. He told her that it was better than living in a filthy hovel in some alienage. He could pick his own jobs and the coin was good. It wasn't exactly the life he saw himself living, but it was better than the lives most elves lived.
After several glasses of wine, Fenris stood and helped Kelsey from her chair. "It was good to see you again, Hawke. Perhaps I can visit you in the near future?"
"I'd like that, Fenris. I really would."
He gave her one final hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Hawke."
Kelsey's heart was breaking. All she wanted to do was stay in his arms forever, but she knew that he didn't feel the same way. "Goodbye, Fenris" she whispered back.
He circled to walk away, but stopped and looked down at the toes of his boots. "We never really discussed what happened between us all those years ago" he said quietly.
Kelsey felt as if she might choke on the tears she was desperately trying to hold back. "You didn't seem to want to talk about it."
Fenris turned slowly until his eyes met hers. "I felt like a fool. I thought it was better if you hated me…I deserved no less. But it wasn't better. Then, when Anders moved into your estate, I knew it was really over. I realized that I had lost the best thing that ever happened to me. But even now, after all this time…I still remember your touch as if it were yesterday. I know I should have asked your forgiveness long ago. I only hope you can forgive me now. If I…if I could go back, if I could do it all over again, I would stay. I would tell you how I felt."
Kelsey could no longer contain the tears that had welled up in her eyes and they began to quietly spill onto her cheeks. "And what was it that you would have said?"
He stared intently into her glistening eyes, into her very soul. "Nothing could be worse than the thought of living without you." He brought his hand to her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. "Tell me it's not too late then, Hawke. Tell me that you forgive me and you will let me make it all up to you."
Kelsey nodded with a smile. "Of course I forgive you Fenris. I only hope you can forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive. I only know one thing, if there is a future to be had, I will walk into it gladly at your side, where I should have been all along."
With those words, he drew her into his arms and covered her mouth with a kiss the likes of which she had never before known. She was finally where she had always wanted to be, in the arms of the man she loved more than life itself and she would never let him go again.