Bioware owns Dragon Age and all the characters, I own Melora, though, and any future OCs

Melora Hawke:
Age: 22 (Act 1) 23 (Act 2) 26 (Act 3)
Height: 5'4"
Hair: Black
Eyes: Icey Blue
Personality: Sarcastic half the time, serious on certain matters. Blames herself for Bethany's death and other things of that matter. Likes to 'help' close combat, despite being a mage. Cares for mages and is terrified of templars, minus Cullen.
Best Friends: Definitely Varric, Isabela and Aveline.
Magic: Fire, Lightning and Force

An Apostate's Soul
Chapter One: Jobs

Being the daughter of a noblewoman didn't carry much like it did before. In Ferelden, that just made annoying men ask for her hand while women snubbed her at every chance. Also, they ignored the fact of her being a mage, just because of her looks and not her personality. Melora Nita Hawke had always found little interest in love and men, though that didn't stop her from messing around as soon as she was 19. She had even slept around a little around here in Kirkwall, across the Waking Sea from Ferelden in the Free Marches.

Her staff swung as she walked, the silver staff with a crescent moon on the bottom and a sharp knife-blade on the other was her favorite thing to use, since it rarely backfired one of her fire spells, being more attune to fire and lightning spells than others. The silver matched her one glove that looked like claws when she had her hand open. The mantle she wore was left to her by her father, Malcolm Hawke. Her icey blue eyes glanced around at her surroundings before darting over her shoulders to her friends as she brushed aside a strand of her raven-black hair away from her right eye.

"How much farther is it again, Aveline?" She asked.

A red-haired warrior grunted a little. "Another few minutes, Hawke. According to the roster, there should be something waiting up ahead. Just get ready for a fight." Aveline Vallen stated, her armor clinking as she walked.

Hawke sighed. "Why did I agree to play guard again? I had enough last time." She stated, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Cause you like to electrocute people that harm people, Hawke." A dwarf carrying a rather large crossbow stated.

"Curse my 'help people' nature. Well, I've been getting bored. Thanks for the reminder, Varric."

Varric Tethras chuckled as an elf near him seemed to glare. "Relax, Broody. Hawke has yet to electrocute either you, Rivani, Junior or Aveline..."

A man with Hawke's hair color huffed. "Maker's breath, dwarf. Stop calling me that!"

"I could call you worse, Carver." Melora taunted, enjoying her brother visibly bristling at the insult. Her younger brother, Carver Hawke, was a warrior and never saw eye-to-eye what she dealt with every day being a mage. He was also twin to Bethany Hawke, who had died a few months earlier, on their trip to Kirkwall. She was about to comment something else before she noticed some armed men in a large clearing. "Those the guys?"

"Well, yeah, but not the ones we're looking for." Aveline said, unsheathing her sword and shield as Hawke swung her staff, their other companions following suit, another warrior, a tan rogue and two more mages mirroring the action.

"Try not to get to hurt, Hawke." A blonde mage warned.

"Keyword is 'try', Anders. I can't guarantee that." She joked, rushing off to join the close-combat companions, something she had always done from watching Carver fight. Despite being three years older, she always marveled at how Carver held himself in battle, slashing and enjoying being close to the action. So, she always rushed in to help, despite being a mage and using her agility to be able to dodge most hits. Though, there were few instances where she'd need healing from Anders, a former Grey Warden mage.

"You're very crazy, Hawke!" The tanned rogue teased, spinning to avoid a hit, her blades slicing the attacker in the chest.

"You just realized that, Isabela? I've known for years how crazy my sister gets!" Carver said.

"Less talky, more slicey!" Melora said, knocking a sword out of an attacker's hand and lighting them on fire before swinging her staff. Before she could summon another fireball, an assassin appeared and managed to not only cut through the side of her mantle, but deep enough to make her cry out a little before using her Mind Blast to send them flying into a rain of arrows from Varric. Seeing she was surrounded slightly, she summoned her mana into her staff and swung it in front of her, summoning lightning before summoning a storm around her, making sure to avoid the others.

Aveline managed to defeat her group and went to guard Melora from the back, something she always did. "Did that harm you badly, Hawke?"

"Nothing I'm not used to by now." She replied, lighting her staff on fire to hit the next attacker. "Maker's breath. How many are there? At this rate..." She already felt that her mana was low, not wanting to really use a lyrium potion if she could avoid it. Not that she could, seeing reinforcements running to join. "Here come some more!" She warned, sending a lightning bolt towards them, stunning them before a second one hit them. This time, she stayed back, not wanting to aggravate the wound she just got. By the time they finished, even Anders and the elf mage were tired. "Finally..."

"Anyone besides Hawke hurt?" Anders joked, though was serious.

"Not really, mage." The warrior elf grunted.

"Fenris, stop with the frowning." Melora said, wincing when she put her staff back on her back and felt the tingling of the healing from Anders, grinning slightly. "That was fun. There might be more up ahead. Let's see what is going on." She saw Carver shake his head. "Something on your mind, Brother?"

"I still have no idea where or how you get that from." He said, crossing his arms.

"Call it my charm. I like that." She joked, grinning at her brother's look of disbelief before turning the grin to Anders. "Thanks."

"That's what I'm here for." He replied, meeting the grin with his own.

"I do wonder why Hawke gets to fight with the others." The elf mage stated, seemingly in awe.

"Daisy, you should know that's how Hawke works by now. You've known her for a few months now." Varric said.

Melora shook her head as they made their way to where the ambush was set up. "Looks like there's a little more here than the last bunch... This might be interesting."

"Sister, can't you just stay away from the fighting like a normal mage?" He sighed, exasperated at her.

"I've never been 'normal' Carver, remember?" She said. "That's why I also joined with you when we went to fight at Ostagar. Then again, I barely helped out."

Fenris seemed to nod in agreement. "At least you didn't electrocute us."

Melora ignore the comment, knowing he didn't like her due to her being a mage. He was a former slave to a magister, a mage that could have titles in Tevinter, and hated mages for some reason. She had tried to show him that not all mages were bad, but after a while, she could only take so much hatred towards her fellow mages. Her heart went out to the former slave, but there was no cause to hate on innocent mages. "Anyway, let's just finish this and head back... Though... I'd rather not head back to Gamlen..." She also hated her uncle for always playing the injured party, even when it came to 'rent' from her mother Leandra.

"You can always come to the Hanged Man, Hawke. This time, it'll be on me, sweetness." Isabela said as they went to fight those waiting for an ambush.

Melora sighed and decided to stay back this time, giving herself more time to heal and distance herself from the fight, even if her nature wanted to rush in and help fight. She had always found it easy for her to get close to fire spells of than having to take time to aim, like a normal mage.

When Malcolm Hawke was alive, he said she was a special little girl and would be able to always find her way of fighting as she got older. He even mentioned how she would only know certain spells and not fully learn the others, despite trying. She smiled softly at how that was right, she only knew fire elemental spells, electric primal spells, the Spirit Bolt of the spirit spells, which she considered electricity and only Mind Blast of arcane.

By the time the fight was over, Melora felt her brother's glare when she walked passed to help Aveline figure out what happened. "They're well equipped, aren't they, Ave?"

"Yeah... But, the dead is dead and the road is clear. Captain Jeven needs to know of this. Back to the barracks for your just rewards."

Melora grimaced at that. "Why do I feel like he might send me to get made Tranquil?"

"You worry too much, Sister." Carver said.

She bit back a response, knowing he wouldn't understand her. The only ones that really understood her are dead, so there weren't any close to her that she could vent to. Mentally shaking her head, she tuned out the pain as she listened in on a conversation between Carver and Isabela.

"I saw you at the Blooming Rose the other night."

"What? No, you didn't." He denied.

"I suppose someone else stole your chin to romance Faith?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Carver rolled his eyes and scoffed lightly. "That's unlikely. She wasn't even working."

"Mm-hmm. Gotcha."

Melora's eyes nearly fell out of her head as she fought a laugh. "Carver! What would Mother say?"

"Oh ho! Nicely done!" Varric broke out laughing.

Aveline flushed and smirked. "Carver!"

Merrill, the Dalish elf, frowned and tilted her head. "I don't get it..."

Anders shook his head. "As you should. Just be blissfully ignorant on this."

That made Melora feel slightly better, though not enough to wanna go back 'home' and deal with Carver taking Gamlen's side on everything. She mentally sighed at how her little brother was hell-bent on mirroring their mother's 'relationship' with their uncle, even if it killed him. She walked with Aveline into the barracks, leaving the others outside, just because she was the one Aveline asked, heading towards a door, getting stopped by Aveline.

"That's Jeven's office. Wait while I explain our initiative." She said, entering and closing the door behind her.

Melora leaned on the wall and played with her bangs, listening in on the 'conversation' between her friend and the boss.

"I don't know how they do it where you're from, Guardswoman, but I decide the patrols, not you and your whims!" Came the order. "You may have been put up for lieutenant in your first year, but I'll have no show-offs in my command! Have I made myself clear? Report to your post before I have you and your Ferelden accomplice jailed!"

Melora turned to see Anders and Carver had joined her and she shrugged when they both raised an eyebrow as she watched Aveline storm out of the office. She raised an eyebrow. "Well, what a charming fellow."

"I don't have to like him, but he could at least listen. Bandits are dead- that's all that should matter."

"Lemme guess. This isn't the first time?" Melora guessed.

"Yes. Something is very wrong."

"So I take it it's a bad time to bring up my bill with him?" She joked.

"He'll throw you in jail, I don't doubt that. The rest though..."

After talking to Guardswoman Brennan, they found out that Guardsman Donnic was carrying the much heavier satchel, which made Melora smirk. "I'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable lie to explain this."

"I'd be willing to listen, but not while a guard might be walking into a trap. Brennan said Donnic. A good man." After a few moments, she found his name. "I got his route. A peaceful stroll in Lowtown, let's make sure it stays that way."

Melora could tell that her jokes were grating Aveline's nerves, but couldn't help it sometimes. She enjoyed a happier feeling than a dull one. She watched as the former knight-captain Jeven was dragged out, threatening to not only throw them in jail, but see to it that Melora was made Tranquil. It made her more eager to get onto Varric's brother Bartrand's expedition, so that she wouldn't have to fear having the brand on her forehead.

Vola... Chapter one is done. I love how I have my f!Hawke almost 'bipolar' sometimes. Where she is cheery yet often has very depressing thoughts if left alone long enough. She's very unique to me that way, as with Jaya, my Warden, she was more 'serious' and rarely went down a dark path, unless her friends were there to pull her back.

This is near the very beginning of Dragon Age 2, so Melora can't tell who to trust and who not to. As far as she knows, only Aveline is trustworthy. Even if she appears to be friendly to others, it's her judging them slightly.
~~Skittles~~