A/N:

Did anyone else find it ironic that both Hawke and Leliana were in Lothering, but neither spoke about the other? I think Bethany mentioned her in passing once, but other than that there was really nothing to tie them to each other. And *spoiler* there was no recognition between the two of them when she visited Kirkwall in Sebastian's companion quest in Act 3. Weird, especially because it seems the two would instantly click as friends. So, here's a bit of backstory between the pair that you never knew ;p. Hope you enjoy, and please review! ;-D

A lot of people assume that I didn't know a certain redheaded Orlesian before I met her with Sebastian. It's kind of amusing that no one else knew about her, but in hindsight it should have been really obvious, considering both of us were in Lothering. I didn't really talk about her much, since everything had changed so fast. I guess I missed her, too. Anyway, this story is about the first time I met our favorite bard and one of my best friends, Leliana.

-Hawke

The Redheaded Sister

Rathina darted silently through the trees. At her side bounded her trusty Mabari, Fang. Rathina paused and Fang drew up obediently beside her, sniffing the air before lowering his snout and snuffling at the ground. The young woman chuckled, smiling fondly at her dog before peering around them keenly. She held a handmade bow; it was very rough and worn, but it served it's purpose: hunting for her family. The arrows in the small sheath on her back matched the ragged bow. She pulled one out and fitted it to the bow, then eyed it thoughtfully.

"I should try hunting with my daggers sometime," she mused aloud, as much to break the almost stifling silence as anything. Fang whined in agreement, and she smirked again. Even the wardog could tell that she was better at wielding the knives- daggers, she corrected herself, wondering what was the difference anyway. Still pondering the idea of hunting with her daggers- maybe she could throw them at a deer or something- she turned to scan the surrounding forest. And froze. A very out of place, red-orange color caught her experienced eye, and Fang growled under his breath, staring at the bush where the color had originated. A flash of silver followed it but both were almost instantly gone. Rathina instinctively assumed a defensive position, sneaking forward to investigate the bush warily. She set the bow down and instead drew her daggers, sliding forward to prod the bush and then exchange a confused glance with Fang. She waited a moment before continuing on hesitantly, re-sheathing her daggers and picking up the bow again. She wished briefly that she'd brought Carver or Bethany with them.

A breeze picked up soon, blowing right at them and ruffling her shiny black hair. She glanced hopefully at the Mabari, whose tail suddenly started to wag and she knew that they'd found dinner. He darted forward and she raced quietly after him. Fang glanced back at her eagerly as he slowed at the edge of a clearing, his stubby tail flying. She crept forward, giving him an affectionate if absentminded pat. She peered around a tree, ducking a little to see through the leaves. And, sure enough, there stood a small herd of deer, drinking from a creek that ran through the clearing. She chose her target- a female that stood a little off to the side, easy enough.

Rathina raised the bow, inching forward to get a clear shot. She focused only on the doe, the rest of her surroundings melting away. She carefully aimed the bow, released, and... missed. The arrow buried itself in a tree near the doe.

"Ah, shit!" Hawke's shout echoed through the air as the deer all turned to bound away. She threw the bow on the ground in one of her rare displays of temper and darted into the clearing, drawing her dagger. The doe was leaping over the stream, the rest of the herd just ahead of her. Hawke drew her arm back and hurled the dagger forward. It revolved once before slamming into the meaty part of the doe's left hind leg, getting stuck in her muscle but effectively slowing her down. Hawke ground out another swear under her breath and took a step forward.

All at once, the wind shifted again and Fang let out a ferocious growl, his hackles rising. A twang reached Rathina's ears, and, thinking of thieves or raiders, she dropped to the ground, expecting an arrow to fly over her head. To her surprise, though, an arrow, streaking from somewhere in the trees across the clearing, hit the doe and she fell. Rathina instantly leaped to her feet and ducked into the shadows, creeping slowly toward the deer's corpse.

"Who's there?" she snapped, now keenly regretting throwing her dagger at the stupid deer. She saw the same flash of red from before, cloaked in the trees directly across from her. This time, though, it didn't disappear. Oh, crap, was I followed?

Fang bounded over to the bushes, growling, his previously cheerful countenance replaced by the frightening war dog he could be. A moment later, he stepped out of the underbrush, followed by a proud young woman who definitely looked like she could hold her own in a fight. Rathina eyed her warily, but the stranger's bow was unstrung. There was something a little... off about her, though. She held herself up with pride, but it was more defensive than anything. This girl has lost a lot.

"Who are you?" Rathina asked, holding her single dagger tightly.

"My name is Leliana." The girl had a lilting Orlesian accent, which naturally made Rathina more suspicious. Her hair was a shocking fiery red, cut short around her chin, similar to Rathina's own hairstyle. She wore a leather tunic that looked as if it had been expensive once, but now it was scratched and worn. Her eyes were a pale, sky blue, unlike Rathina's electric blue gaze, which was narrowing in suspicion.

"Were you following me?"

"I... yes." The Orlesian shifted. "I was hoping you would lead me to the town nearby- Lothering, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Lothering is my home." Rathina scrutinized the girl, curiosity warring with suspicion. "You're not from Ferelden, are you? Why do you want to go to Lothering?"

Leliana hesitated. "Personal reasons," she answered after a moment. "I'm seeking out the Chantry." She doesn't seem like much of a Sister to me, Rathina thought, furrowing her brow as she scratched Fang's ear.

"Alright," she allowed after a moment. "I'll take you to Lothering, if I can have the deer." She gestured to the prone form of the doe.

"Sure," Leliana agreed, amusement lighting her gaze. "Sorry for stealing your kill, but I didn't want the poor doe to suffer."

"Me neither," Rathina grimaced. Deciding the girl wasn't dangerous (or, if she was, that Fang would protect her back), she slid her bow back into its tube slung around her back and strode over to the deer. She pulled the dagger out of its thigh and wiped the blade in the grass before returning both of her daggers to their sheaths. She watched the Orlesian out of the corner of her eye as she pulled out a coil of rope and started to tie up the doe for Fang to carry back. The war dog was surprisingly strong, which came in handy for things like this.

"You never told me your name," Leliana said after a moment.

"Rathina Hawke."

"Hawke," Leliana answered thoughtfully. "A strong name." Fang sniffed at her curiously, and she knelt down to stroke the Mabari. Rathina whistled, and the eager war dog ditched his new companion and bounded over to her. She tied the doe onto his back and he bounced happily in place, excited to be off. Rathina rolled her eyes and released the Mabari; he bounded ahead of them, back towards Lothering. She followed at a slower pace, Leliana to the left and slightly behind her.

"You're good with the bow," Rathina observed as they walked. Leliana shrugged.

"You learn to keep on your toes as a minstrel," she answered rather vaguely. Rathina sighed, accepting that she probably wouldn't learn any more about the girl with this line of questioning. She changed tack.

"How long have you been traveling in this direction for?"

"A while," Leliana replied, thinking. "I came here from Denerim. I think it was early summer when I left." Her eyes swept the distinctly autumn trees.

"That's a long time if you took the road," Rathina pointed out, her voice a little accusatory.

"We avoided the road, for a while," Leliana said, still vague. This was really starting to annoy Rathina. She skipped to a different question, hoping to catch the Orlesian off guard.

"Why do you want to go to the Chantry?" she asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," Leliana commented, but her eyes glowed with amusement. "Is it fair that you ask me to tell you about my life, but you never explain yours?"

"You haven't asked me anything," Rathina mumbled, a little abashed. Crap.

"Tell me about yourself. How long have you been living in Lothering for?"

"As far back as I can remember," Rathina answered automatically. Leliana smiled encouragingly, and Hawke swore under her breath when she realized that she had been successfully diverted from her questions. "I think I was very young when we came here," she elaborated reluctantly. "My parents aren't from this place. My mother is from Kirkwall."

"What about your father?"

"That's going too far!" Rathina snapped, her eyes glowing with anger that masked her fear. If this girl found out about her father and Bethany, and became a Sister and told somebody...

"I'm sorry," the Orlesian replied instantly, her expression sobering.

"We're almost there," Rathina answered curtly, but her eyes had softened a little.

"What's Lothering like?" Leliana asked, choosing a safer path for both of them. Rathina relaxed a little as she started to explain emphatically about the small town, how they were mostly poor but very close to each other and their prominent Chantry, and about the little children who always played in the streets after a day of helping their parents out on the fields...

"Sounds like a lovely place," Leliana commented when Rathina ran out of breath.

"Well, as long as you can fight off the bandits." Rathina sighed.

"Do you get many bandits?" Leliana asked curiously. Rathina laughed and rolled her eyes.

"We're right in the middle of the Imperial Highway," she snorted. "And we're a small town with few guards and too many templars. Of course we do! They attack the farms often."

"Oh." The Orlesian fell silent.

"So you were a minstrel?" Rathina asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes. I used to travel around the courts in Orlais to sing and tell stories," Leliana answered, a little wistfully.

"Stories, huh? That will definitely warm you up to the Revered Mother very quickly." Fang barked, as if in agreement. Rathina chuckled and reached down to ruffle his ears. "We adore stories down here in our modest town of Lothering."

"Do you?" Leliana looked pleased. "Once I get settled in, be sure to stop by the Chantry and I'll tell you a few."

"Excellent. We need a few new stories around here. Ah, and there it is- my beautiful city." Rathina smirked, her last words a little sarcastic. Fang bounded ahead of them, bolting straight for the house where Mother would take the deer and cook it for dinner. Rathina paused just before they stepped out of the trees and gave Leliana a sideways glance. The redheaded Orlesian looked curious and slightly nervous. "Shall I take you straight to the Chantry?" Rathina asked softly.

"Yes, please. I'd like to speak to your Revered Mother before anything else." Leliana hesitated. "Thanks for bringing me here, Rathina."

"Well, it's the least I could do for the deer you killed for me."

"It's good to know I'll have a friend here."

"Ah, don't make a big deal, everybody here's really nice. Mostly, anyway." But Rathina looked pleased, and she grinned at Leliana. "By the way, do you think you can teach me how to hunt with a bow and arrow?"

"I'd be happy to. As long as you catch me a deer for the one today," Leliana added with an answering smirk.

"Thanks, Leli." Rathina, looking a lot happier than before, led Leliana into Lothering.