The next morning, Fenris woke to find Melisandria's letter and himself wrapped in the blanket. He read through the letter and knew she left during the night. He set aside the blanket and went to find some breakfast. Finding an apple and some bread, he wolfed down the bread and left the mansion as he began to chow down on the large apple. As he walked outside, the boy from the day before, Liam, came up to him.
"Good day, ser, could you please give this to Mistress Hawke?" Liam asked, handing Fenris a small package. "I never got to thank her good and proper when she fixed my knee."
"I will deliver it to her, yes." Fenris agreed, unsure why he agreed so quickly.
Liam smiled and ran off, leaving Fenris with a small package in one hand and an apple in the other, unsure of what to do next.
"I guess I must go to Lowtown today." he said to himself.
So he made his way through Hightown to the large stairwell that led to Lowtown. When he reached Melisandria's home, he knocked on the door. Leandra answered.
"Oh, you're the elf from yesterday. Are you here to see my daughter?" she asked, clearly surprised to see him.
"Indeed, if I may come in, Mistress?" Fenris replied, trying to be as polite as he could.
Leandra let him in and Hammer came right up to him as he stepped inside.
"Good to see you as well, Hammer." Fenris said as he rubbed the mabari's ears.
"Mel is in her room." Leandra said, pointing to the room as she used her daughter's childhood nickname.
Fenris nodded in thanks and held the package tightly as he went to Melisandria's room.
He knocked on the door and pushed it open. Melisandria was laying on her side in bed, wearing nothing more than a light blue tunic and cropped leggings, reading a book. Her hair was undone and left out of its usual braid, long and flowing in waves over her shoulder. Fenris had never seen her with her hair down before, but her beauty was enhanced by her luxurious raven black hair. Fenris couldn't take his eyes off her and when she looked up in surprise, Fenris blushed and held out the package for her.
"I was asked to give this to you. It is from that boy you helped, Liam." he said.
Melisandria sat up and put the book aside as she took the package. She opened it to find an amulet bearing a wolf's head. A note was also inside:
'"Mistress Hawke,
Thank you for helping me yesterday.
I wanted to properly thank you, but I have no coin.
My family died in Lothering, and my friend Carter's family took me in.
This amulet was my mother's, the wolf being the guardian of her family.
I want you to have it as thanks for healing me and for always taking such good care of all the children in Lowtown.
No one has ever done that before you came along. Do not worry, your secret is safe with me. If you ever need anything, please let me know.
~Liam"
Melisandria smiled after she read the note. She took the amulet and tried to hook it around her neck. Seeing that she was having difficulties, Fenris held out his hand.
"May I?"
Nodding, she handed him the amulet and stood, turning her back to him and lifting her hair out of the way. Fenris hooked the chain around her neck, but as she turned around, his hand remained on her neck. When their eyes met, they both blushed as their green eyes locked for a brief moment. It seemed like quite some time had passed before someone cleared their throat behind them.
"Mother?" Melisandria asked, looking toward Leandra in the door frame.
"I just wanted to check to make sure you and your... friend were doing alright."
Smiling, Melisandria went to hug her mother, kissing her on the cheek. "We're fine, Mother. Fenris was just delivering a package to me from a young boy that I helped out the other day."
Leandra noticed the amulet and smiled. "Did Liam get into trouble again?"
"Yes." Melisandria replied, a smile upon her face.
Leandra rolled her eyes in amusement. "That boy is just too spirited sometimes. Reminds me of Carver when he was a boy."
Melisandria chuckled at that, remembering the times that Carver ran off with his friends to play soldier, always stirring up trouble.
"Well, why don't you two go out and relax for the day?" Leandra suggested. "It's a lovely day, you have no jobs at the moment, go out and enjoy yourselves."
Melisandria looked at Fenris and he nodded. "Very well, Mistress."
Leandra left them to their business. Melisandria looked at her clothes and then back at Fenris.
"Would you wait outside? I'll change quickly." she asked.
Fenris blushed and nodded, leaving her room. He waited out in the main room of Gamlen's home, Hammer sitting next to him.
"I hope you have no ill intentions toward my sister, elf." Carver said as he came into the room.
"We are friends, Carver. Nothing more." Fenris replied.
"If you hurt Mel, whether you remain as friends or become more than that, I will hunt you down like those slavers have been." Carver warned, suddenly getting very protective of his older sister.
Fenris looked at him and saw that he was serious, but became agitated when Carver made the slavers comment.
"If I were you, boy, I would mind that snide tongue of yours. I will not let your sister come to harm, this I swear."
Carver didn't seem to care for the retaliation Fenris gave him, but he knew at that moment that Fenris was serious and swore to protect his sister. Even if he was only the baby brother, he still felt the need to protect Melisandria. He never hated her, but he didn't like having to constantly hide and running after his sister whenever she got into trouble or got too close to exposing their family's secret.
Melisandria came out of her room wearing a red tunic and soft leather leggings, black leather boots, and had left her hair down. She had a small leather pack with her, just in case they needed anything while they were out and about.
"I am ready to go if you are." she said.
Fenris stared at her for a moment, her beauty almost overwhelming.
"Fenris?" she asked.
When Fenris realized she was trying to talk to him, he shook his head. "We should move on."
Melisandria nodded, said goodbye to her family and left with Fenris. With Hammer trailing beside them, they walked the streets of Lowtown. Some time had passed before Melisandria said anything.
"Where would you like to go?"
"I have no preference. Where do you wish to go?" Fenris replied.
Melisandria thought for a moment, then smiled.
"I know where we can go." she said and beckoned for him to follow her.
Melisandria led Fenris out of Lowtown and out of Kirkwall entirely. She led him to a small clearing near the area where they had found the pure ironbark. Fenris looked around and wondered why they were there. He watched as a sense of joy played across Melisandria's face. She spun around in circles as Hammer danced around her. Fenris watched as she just let herself be free for a moment before stopping short and looking at him with embarrassment.
"Sorry, I just love coming here when I have some free time." she said with a guilty smile.
Fenris smiled. "It is good that you have somewhere you can go to escape and be free for a moment."
Melisandria looked around. "I love it here. It's quiet, beautiful, peaceful, and if I ever need to do some training, I can come here and be alone with my thoughts."
Fenris sat down on a small hill. Melisandria came to sit next to him while Hammer found something to chase and ran off for a bit.
"It is beautiful here." Fenris agreed.
Melisandria smiled and she opened her pack. Rummaging through it, she pulled out some bread, a couple of apples, some meat and cheese, and a bottle of wine.
"Hungry?" she asked.
Fenris had only eaten some bread and an apple himself, but that was some time ago. "I could eat."
Melisandria smiled and broke the loaf of bread in two, handing him a piece. "So, I always wanted to ask you something, but I was never sure how to put it."
Fenris took the piece of bread and looked at her. "What is it?"
Sighing, Melisandria looked out towards the coastline, watching as distant ships sailed past to dock near the Gallows. "I know it is silly of me to wonder this, but..." Looking at him, she continued. "Why are you still here?"
"What do you mean?" Fenris asked.
"I mean why are you still here in Kirkwall?" She asked, opening the bottle of wine and taking a swig from it before handing it to Fenris. "Why do you stay in my company and still travel with me? Danarius hasn't sent anyone in the past few weeks, though I understand it is too much to hope that he has gone forever, and I am a mage traveling with two other mages- one who bound himself to a spirit that no longer appears to be its namesake and purpose and one who delves into blood magik and dealing with demons- an angry brother who probably thinks he could be better off away from me, a dwarf- though Varric has become a good friend- who constantly jokes around and is rarely serious, and a Rivaini who lost her ship and only remains in Kirkwall to tag along until she finds this relic of hers. You could be off somewhere better, away from mages, away from it all."
Fenris watched her face as she said all of this, seeing the curiosity and urgency of this matter in her eyes. He could sense from her tone that she had been holding this back for quite some time, searching for the right moment to ask him. He thought about what she said carefully before he answered and took a swig from the bottle.
"Danarius is not dead, so he will send as many hunters as he can to retrieve me. Though we may not have seen his hunters of late, there will be more until he dies. As for our companions, Anders and Merrill both chose their fates, foolish as they may be, and they must deal with the consequences. Varric and Isabela are... interesting. They are both skilled in their art, though they do talk too much sometimes. Varric's connection to this expedition is key to you getting the chance to join them, so that you may buy back your family's estate. Isabela seems to have some good work for you, which gives you extra coin should you need it. I do not mind their company, but I feel that I should still watch the other mages closely."
Melisandria understood and laid back against the soft mossy hill. Fenris looked to the sky for a moment before he continued.
"As for why I am still here, I will wait for Danarius to come find me and I will end this for good. But most importantly, I am still here because of you."
Melisandria sat up and looked at him, trying to understand what he meant.
"You have been kinder to me than anyone that I have met with what memories I have. You helped me when we first met, though now even more than before I wish I hadn't lied or tricked you. I should have just asked for your help directly. But you have not given me reason to think that you will become like Danarius. I have watched you with Liam and his friends, caring for them as if you were their mother or at least their sister. You care about the people you encounter, always try to find the most diplomatic solution. You are a strong person, you have an incredible hold over your magik and I have yet to see you use it in anger; you only use it in defense or to help someone. You are beautiful and kind and you are the first person I have felt comfortable enough around to where I do not feel the need to hide from anyone or myself." he continued. He looked at Melisandria and smiled softly.
Melisandria saw the truth in his eyes and placed a hand on his. "I understand, Fenris. Forgive me, I shouldn't have doubted you staying here. I just hoped that it was because you had looked passed the mage part of me and stayed for reasons beyond that. Glad to hear I was right."
Fenris looked at her hand, small and soft compared to his armor covered and rough hand. An albatross flew by near them, and when they looked up, the sky was beginning to darken. They had already spent most of their day out in the Free Marches, enjoying a peaceful day without any worry or job to do.
"Fenris, can we stay just a little bit longer?" Melisandria asked him. "There's something really amazing that I want to show you that only happens at night once the moon comes out."
"Very well," Fenris said. "You have me intrigued."
So they waited, and not long either, and drank the wine until the sun had set and the moon had risen above Sundermount and into the night sky. The stars shined bright and Melisandria stood, offering Fenris a hand up. He took it and as she pulled him to his feet, the clearing began to glow around them. Little tiny flowers bloomed and glowed with a blue hue, their petals unfurling into large teardrop shapes. The vines that curled up some of the trees began to glow as their flowers bloomed.
"What are they?" Fenris asked.
"These are moon flowers. They are rare here, but even rarer so in Ferelden. I never would have found this place if I hadn't been chasing Hammer when he stole my staff a while ago and ran off with it." Melisandria said.
Fenris chuckled at the thought of her mabari running off with her staff like a pup chasing a stick.
Melisandria continued as she looked around at the moon flowers. "When I was a girl, my father used to take Carver, Bethany, and I to this clearing near the pass that led from Lothering to Ostagar. There were these small alcoves within the clearing where these moon flowers would grow. My father used to tell us that when the moon was full, the flowers would bloom and glow in its radiance." She stepped away for a moment and began to summon her magik. "Or, if you were skilled enough in magik, you could do this."
She moved her hands and feet as if to a dance in her head. She used her magik to lift some of the flowers from the ground, making them twirling and spin in a whirlwind of moon flowers, glowing ever brighter. The more she danced, the more her magik made the moon flowers glow brighter. When she changed the type of energy she was using for her magik, Melisandria was able to change the color of the moon flowers' glow. They went from a blue glow to white, then red to purple, then green, then back to blue. Fenris watched as Melisandria danced around the center of the clearing, creating a magikal light show of these flowers. She moved gracefully, using her magik perfectly.
A grouping of clouds passed in front of the moon and caused the moon flowers to curl up and close their petals as if to go to sleep. Melisandria smiled, though felt somewhat disappointed, and walked back to Fenris.
"I know you don't care much for magik, but I wanted to show you that. I am able to do the Dance of the Moon- as my father named it- and I wanted to show you that I do have control over my magik. I wanted to make sure that you knew that you could trust me, not just as a person, but as a mage." she said.
Fenris watched her face as she tried to explain herself. He smiled and put a hand to her cheek. "Mel, I trust you more than I ever thought that I could trust a mage. Danarius made me wary of any mage I came across, but you are a true mage who fights to protect those dear to you. You fight to survive but you never use your magik in anger or fear."
Melisandria was taken aback when he used her childhood nickname.
Fenris continued, "You are a true friend. You have nothing to fear."
The clouds moved on and the moon shined brighter than before, making the moon flowers burst open and glow with a magikal inferno. Melisandria looked at Fenris' markings as the lyrium in them began to glow with the flowers.
"Fenris, your markings..."
Fenris didn't care; he knew that the lyrium in his markings probably glowed with the lyrium in the moon flowers. He was so enthralled with Melisandria's beauty in the moon light that he couldn't help himself. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest, placing his lips on hers in a moment of passion. Melisandria was startled, but she felt the safety once again of Fenris holding her. She moved her hands up to his chest and immersed herself in his kiss.
They stood there kissing for what seemed like a century before Fenris pulled back. They blushed and Fenris let his grip loosen.
"I apologize. I do not know what came over me." he said.
"It's alright..." she replied.
"We should head back." Fenris pointed out, not sure what to do now.
Melisandria nodded and grabbed her pack. She whistled for Hammer and they began their trek back into Kirkwall when Hammer had rejoined them.
When they reached Kirkwall, they enter the city through Hightown. They walked to Fenris' mansion and Melisandria bade him goodnight.
"I had fun today, Fenris. Thank you." she said and kissed him on the cheek.
"I as well." Fenris replied and watched as she smiled and began to walk away. He stood there and waited until she was out of sight.
Fenris went inside the mansion and to his chambers. He lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It had indeed been a wonderful night, and he had hoped that kissing Melisandria would not harm their relationship. The mere thought of her made his heart race. He couldn't think of a life in which she was not there. He let himself slip off to sleep, Melisandria still in his mind.
Melisandria walked home to Gamlen's house and when she got inside, her Mother was there waiting for her.
"It's late, Mel. You had me worried!" she said as she came up and hugged her daughter.
"I'm alright, Mother. I was with Fenris just outside of the city. You know, the clearing with the moon flowers like the ones Father used to take us to see?"
Leandra nodded, and smiled. "You have that look."
"What look?"
"The look that your grandmother said I had after your father and I had kissed for the first time."
Melisandria smiled and blushed.
"You and that young elf kissed, didn't you?"
Melisandria nodded and her mother smiled.
"Does he make you happy, Mel?"
"Yes, Mother, he does, but I don't know if it's going to be more than what it is now."
Leandra hugged her daughter. "Time will tell you soon enough. Let things run their course. I want you to be happy my dear."
Melisandria hugged her mother back and kissed her cheek. "I want you to be happy, too. Now let's get you to bed, Mother."
Melisandria took her mother to her room, made sure that she was tucked into bed and went to her own room. As she passed by Carver's room, she checked in on him and smiled when she saw him sprawled out on his bed passed out. She peeked in to check on her uncle as well; he too was passed out. Satisfied that her family was safe and asleep, Melisandria got comfortable in her own bed, not bothering to change. Soon, she too was fast asleep.