Happily, I stroll through Skyhold, my smile diminishes after each and every body I see rebuild still from the aftermath of Haven, seeing the tired hollow expressions of those in pain and suffering, brings great pain to my chest as I sigh, my peppy mood fading until I raise a brow when I see a smiling Hawke looking down at the training grounds. My ears hear the dispute below…well more like betting going on.
"5 silver the kid picks daggers!" Sera begins.
"10 on the axe!" Bull smirks.
"You're both stupid it's obviously the sword, 20!" Blackwall reasons as Fenris and Fen calmly tend to the conflicted Robin, eying each and every weapon offered to her.
"She's only two why on earth…?" I frown.
"These are dark times. I hate to say it but it was Fenris idea…" Hawke notices me.
"I'm surprised you're not down there…." I bring up.
"I'd only distract him besides I want Fenris to make friend outside of me and the others. It can be a tad bit difficult for him sometimes…" Hawke confesses.
"I see…" I mutter.
"Tell me what weapon do you think my little bird will pick up?" Hawke smirks.
"Pick up? We she's a mage so staff," I guess only to frown at Hawke's shake of the head.
"I think…she'll chose something different," Hawke smiles softly down at the scene as together we watch the scene unfold.
Fen pov:
Smirking, I snicker as I watch with Sera, Iron Bull, Blackwall and my brother as Robin struggles to wield the long bow, way taller than her as she stumbles.
"This is why I recommended the sword," My brother grumbles.
"That would be too big for her as well," I point out.
"At least she isn't playing it like the lute," Sera snicker.
"Huh, why did I just imagine Robin as a bird, she'd make a good one," I comment.
"My daughter will not be a bard…" My brother refuses.
Yeah, yeah…" I roll my eyes at my brother's protectiveness, both of us having an inkling of the dangers of being a bard.
"Okay Robin what do you want to practice with today?" Fenris grumbles, kneeling down, trying to gesture to the sword, making me snicker.
"No way she should go with an axe, destroy anyone in her path!" Bull cheers.
"You can never go wrong with a sword and shield," Blackwall recommends.
"Nah mate got for the daggers, you can push them up someone's-"
"-Not helping, quickly," I cut Sera off covering Robin's ears from the implications; I don't want my little Robin to be corrupted at this age….
"Robin why not the sword? It's strong and powerful like daddy," Fenris smirks offering the sword out as Robin slowly takes the sword, squeaking back as she stumbles back from the sudden weight of the sword. Quickly, Fenris catches her, helping her steady with the sword. "Maybe something lighter her muscles aren't the most muscular," I point out.
"Maybe," Fenris passes her a wooden sword, he really wants her to wield a sword, I frown releasing a sigh at my brother's desperate attempts as he does a few motions with the sword, which Robin bless her heart tries to copy but her moves are sloppy and sluggish and well…
"Eek!" Robin shrieks as she falls over, over leaning back too much causing her to trip.
"Robin, you okay?" Fenris kneels down checking her over.
"I'm fine, Dad…I don't want to use the sword it hurts!" Robin whines.
"All weapons hurt at first it's your soft hands getting used to the weapon," Fenris comforts her.
"But why do we have to hurt people?" Robin questions puzzled breaking our hearts.
"To survive," Sternly, I intervene.
"Survive? She blinks turning to me.
"Robin. Right now this world is chaotic, you'll be brought into tons of fights, and you need to know when to fight and when to take flight," I explain to her.
"But daddy doesn't flee," Robin frowns.
"That's because he can take the hits so can I. We've trained but fighting isn't always the method, it can harm us even more and hurt us, sometimes fleeing is our best shot at truly winning, which is surviving," I explain calmly to her.
"Fleeing isn't bad then?" Robin whispers.
"Of course not. Fleeing is sometimes necessary to survival and survival is key," I correct her.
"It is…?" Robin ponders.
"Yes survival allows you to learn from your mistakes and use what you've learned from your past survival attempts to move on and help others not fall for the same tricks you fell into," Fenris explains to her.
"Huh…." Robin bows her head in thought.
"Ready for another round? We can take a break if you want," Fenris offers softly making me raise a brow recalling back when we were training, we weren't given breaks, we both forced one another to work hard, never have I seen him softer but Fenris to think this is the same man, who would bark at me to continue training is now like this, to his own kid, makes you think…
"Do you want a staff?" I ask gently only to see her frown and cross her arms.
"No I…I can't I won't…"Robin refuses.
"Robin…" Gently, I sigh, coaxing her to the staff.
"Staffs are for mages, I…daddy looks so sad when he sees me with one…!" Robin whimpers, tears collecting in her eyes.
"But it may be your only way to use your magic," I reason to her.
"Why do I have to use my magic, I don't want to…I can't rely on it forever!" She stomps her foot on the ground, whimpering as I sigh, trying to get her to see the practical option.
"What do you want then?" My brother questions Robin softly as she turns back to the weapons option, only for my eyes to widen when I see her glance at both the bow and daggers, then me.
"I wanna be like auntie!" Robin declares attempting to wield both one of the daggers and a bow, making my heart smile at the sight, smiling genuinely at the sheer cuteness and genuine joy in her voice.
"Are you sure it's very hard," My brother warns her.
"I wanna be like auntie! I want be like auntie like the stories uncle Varric told me!" Robin cheers.
"Stories!? What stories?" I question worried considering most stories about me aren't the most appropriate for kids
Giggling, Robin is too obsessed over the weapons as she attempts to wield them, only making me sigh as she stumbles. Concerned Fenris catches her as I take the bow off of her.
"Right well first off…"And so I taught her, I taught Robin how to properly use the bow and arrow much to the groans of disappointment from Bull and Blackwall while Sera beams
"Could you not bet on my daughter?" My brother growls at them irritated as I kneel down at Robin's posture, head back, posture right, breathe even. "Okay just take one last deep breathe, relax and fire," I instruct her softly as I spot a few arrows planted in the ground, clearly missing the target that is the marked barrel. Focused, Robin nods as I take a step back and smirk as they follow my steps, nodding to themselves, and firing, the arrow hits it may not be in the middle but tis still something that shows progress…
"Aw…I didn't get it in the middle!" Robin frowns, pouting as I chuckle gently plucking the arrows from the ground and barrel target.
"I wouldn't say that," Fenris smiles a small one, kneeling down to the giddy girl.
"But I didn't get it in the middle and only one hit the target," Robin huffs.
"It's going to take a lot longer than one training session to use the bow Robin," Fenris reasons to her.
"Besides you did better than your father," I encourage.
"Really?" Robin gasps hopeful.
"Fen don't you…" My brother growls warningly.
"He managed to shoot himself with the bow," I bring up making Robin gape then giggle.
"What!?" Robin gawks.
"Yeah it was hilarious, one time as well he fired an arrow into some random woman's window and nearly killed him, she came running out, spewing curses with a chamber pot," I elaborate.
"Eeww!" Robin pinches her nose making me chuckle.
"Must you tell everyone that story?" My brother complains.
"What it's a good story," I defend.
"Ah yes and should we forget the ideal sister who was thrown into dragon dung," Smugly, my brother smirks as I frown.
"Yes, yes we should." I agree smirking sharply.
"Come on you're tired you need rest," Fenris speaks to Robin who pouts.
"But I got my lesson with mama and Mr Solas…" She argues.
"Sweetie," Softly, I kneel down as sleepily Robin yawns.
"Yes auntie?" Robin whispers sleepily.
"Don't call him Mr Solas okay…" I begin smirking cheekily.
"Oh okay what should I call him then?" Innocently, she requests.
"Egghead," I answer as I feel a few eyes on me as well as Sera cackling.
"Egghead perfect!" Sere grins, slapping me on the back. Loudly, the other guys' chuckle as Robin dumbly nods going with it, bringing a smug smirk to my features as moderately, Fenris takes her, letting her nap in his arms as the soft snores of Robin emit from the tiny body and I glance up at my brother.
Am I missing out on that much? I question myself seeing that smile, that soft gentle loving subtle smile he hides so very often and that look, he gives to his child, his offspring, his kid…
"And so here Hawke stood, armed and ready with her companions as they stood before the mighty Arishock, sword in hand and ready for the battle of the true champion of Kirkwall however as Hawke seized up her target, a sudden clash of glass echoes in their wake as the mighty Fen bursts into the room, her limbs glowing, her whole body surrounded by a familiar blue light as she with Hawke and co stood up against the mighty Qunari. There Hawke used her ice to freeze the Arishock in place as the powerful Fennic leaped forward, hand reeled back and-"
"Wham!" Giggling, Robin choruses with a smirking Varric as Hawke smiles along happy to see her child in such a giddy mood as I enter the room.
"This story again?" I frown.
"It's our most greatest achievement," Hawke smirks.
"Yours you mean oh mighty champion," I joke lightly.
"I'm not the one who shattered the Arishock," Hawke rebukes.
"We both did if you think about it," I bring up making her chuckle.
"Ladies, ladies you both were badass warriors," Varric jokingly says as Robin giggles.
"Boom you think I can do the glow hand thing like daddy does mummy? Oh or maybe auntie Fen's cool storing energy attack!" Robin gushes making me smile sadly at the naïve girl, not realizing the cost of such a mighty move but still that is an interesting question, perhaps the lyrium from Fenris may be able to allow her more mana to summon spells, than most who knows?
"You better have not mentioned the beheading," I mutter to Varric.
"Of course not…not yet anyway maybe when she's older," Varric teases lightly.
"That was a hectic and chaotic day," Hawke huffs.
"It sounds awesome!" Robin gushes, a glint in her eye.
"Battling may be fun but war is very different," Hawke reminds her.
"I know mummy," Robin pouts as Hawke sighs shaking her head at her little rascal in her arms…
"I best get going I promised Blackwall a drink," I smirk.
"And why would that be?" Hawke raises a brow.
Let's just say I got a little surprise just for a certain little birdie," I smirk playfully, jokingly poking Robin's nose, making her giggle and then smile excited.
"A surprise really?" Robin gasps eager to know more making me chuckle.
"Hold on Robin, a surprise isn't a surprise if you find out what is it," Varric smirks.
"But I wannaa knoooww…."Robin groans pouting making us chuckle at the animated child before us.
"I see she gets the pouting from our side of the family," I joke lightly recalling my brother's famous pout.
"Let's just hope not the brooding…"Hawke adds in sneakily making us chuckle.
"For your sake I hope not," I smirk and turn my back to the trio, heading down to a certain barn…
"I see you're all settled in," I note wincing at the heavy stench of animal and manure with a hint of straw.
"Please don't tell me you sleep on there," I remark pointing at the hay stack.
"What no? What gave you that idea?" Blackwall questions.
"Eh you seem like the type to do anything in the wild to survive, a survivalist kind of guy heck I bet you would sleep with someone on straw," I joke lightly.
"Of course not I'm a gentleman," He argues.
"You keep telling yourself that tiger so is it ready?" I ask intrigued.
"Yes, yes here, ta dah," Blackwall smirks showing a wooden carved rocking horse.
Impressed, I wolf whistle. "Nice," I smirk as Blackwall holds it as we make our way to the room where we now find my brother, Varric and Hawke happily playing with the eager Robin, trying out tongue twisters which they final miserably at making Varric chuckle.
"Here it is, a little gift form the inquisition to you lot," Blackwall announces as he places the horse on the ground.
"Wow! So cool! Is that a griffin!?" Mama sad where we're heading next has tons of griffins like mama? Excited, Robin dashes over to the object, beginning to play on it as Fenris and Hawke smile down at their child.
"Yes, there will be a lot," Hawke smirks.
"Can I ride them?" Robin questions interested.
"No way, too dangerous," Fenris refuses making Robin pout and Hawke chuckle.
"Maybe when you're older kiddo," Varric smirks, flicking her nose making her pout only to smile excited at the thought.
"When I'm older I'm going to be the griffin master!" Robin declares proudly making us all chuckle at the excited girl, now enjoying her new toy with Fenris keeping a watchful eye on her.
"I forgot that you guys planned on heading to Weisshaupt right?" I recall briefly my brother telling me his next move.
"Yeah we plan to meet up with Carver, you know he missed you," Hawke brings up.
"When doesn't he? That broody child was like a puppy," I mope grumbling at the mention of that idiot, constantly complaining about Hawke and being in her shadow when he won't.
"Aren't puppies meant to be cute?" Blackwall questions innocently.
"Sure when they aren't following you everywhere and making comments on my lifestyle back then," I grumble recalling Carver's weirdness towards Merrill and I. Merrill never got the signals due to her obliviousness nature but I did, maker did I get those messages and maker did I put him in his place. I remember him on the verge of tears but frankly I just didn't care, he was pissing me off to no ends and Isabela saw that and laughs only then for him to go off and join the Templars, the organisation and people that would literally kill and try to tame Hawke…yeah I remember his attempt at trying to flirt with me about his position, showing it off and such, only to receive a blank look and punch in the face….good times.
"So how much do we owe you?" Hawke questions Blackwall.
"Nothing, think of it as a gift, any friend of Fen's is a friend of mine besides she owes me a beer," Blackwall smirks my way.
"I know, I know, come on I'll treat you to one now to get it over with," I grumble smiling as I playfully ruffle up Robin's hair and then head out towards the tavern, giving a just deserved beer to my mate Blackwall…
Who knows…?