"If there is a future to be had..."
Fenris hears her enter the mansion long before he sees her. No attempt at being quiet or trying to creep up and surprise him with a kiss from behind this time. No, not this time, her boots echo in the dusty emptiness of the reception hall, he can hear her anger from the sound as she climbs the stairs. She strides into the room to stand staff in hand and he struggles to think for a split second what he has done wrong that she might want to send him to the maker.
"Those bastards kidnapped my brother. MY BROTHER! They used blood magic on my brother! They were going to kill him up until they decided I was a better target."
Fenris can do nothing but stay still and listen to her vent her anger as she paces back and forth spitting out the story of the trip to the Wounded Coast. Maker, she looks glorious when she's angry!
"I had some sympathy for their cause, mages and templars working together. Thrask was there, you know Thrask, remember him? Trying hard to make sure mages were treated sympathetically? That bitch Grace turned on him, on me! You do nothing but good stuff, try and help them and then they turn on you like this. Fenris, they took Carver so they could get to me. I haven't seen him since the Qunari fiasco and the first time I see him is unconscious on the ground surrounded by a bunch of self righteous, blood crazed...Ahhh! I can't think of enough good bad things to call them! I swear I thought he was already dead. I can't let this damned place take any more of my family."
She marches to stand in front of him, anger beginning to dissipate and he can see that frustration and tears are beginning to win through,
"Where do you want to go? Let's leave right now. I can't stand any more of this. I don't want to be a Champion any more. Let's just go and leave them to their squabbling, if I'm out of the way they'll have to work it out."
Fenris takes a breath and puts his hands on her shoulders, "I take it Carver is still breathing and you exacted retribution in your usual dazzling style?"
"Naturally." She says simply. Then her wry grin appears. "Oh yes... retribution was exacted most dazzlingly."
He runs his fingers down her face, "Then for the moment let us celebrate your victory, and celebrate your brother's continuing existence. You are beautiful when you're angry...I find it...very arousing."
She grabs his head in her hands and pulls him in to kiss him hard.
"Oh Maker...Yes please." She manages to mumble as they hurry to take off each other's armour...
They lie in bed languidly, all anger spent and content in the aftermath of their passion. Hawke gently traces the lyrium markings on Fenris' body as he plays with her hair and ears.
"Did you mean what you said earlier about leaving Kirkwall?" asks Fenris.
"What would you say if I said yes?"
"It matters little to me what you want to do, I'll be with you whatever you decide, I'm just curious as to where you will be taking me."
Hawke turns into him and looks into his eyes, "I wouldn't go anywhere without you." She smiles and then frowns,
"There is nothing to keep me here anymore. Mother and Bethany are gone; Carver is with the Grey Wardens. I've been talking to the rest of the gang. They are getting ready to move on. It seems like I am the only reason they stay and I don't like feeling that I'm holding them back.
"What are they saying?"
"Aveline teased me about going back to Ferelden, becoming a soldier again, but I think she would like to do it. I know she's very loyal to the guard here, but Ostagar is still fresh in her mind. I think she wants some closure on that time and she won't get that here. If Donnic agrees to go with her, I think she will go. Has he mentioned anything to you?"
"Not much, although our card nights now end up where we drunkenly console ourselves for having the bad luck for falling for strong women and how we should just put rings through our noses for you to lead us about..."
Hawke laughs and playfully thumps his shoulder, "I see Aveline is not the only one who wants to tease these days."
"Who says I was teasing?" he laughs back at her.
"Anyway...Varric is becoming more involved with his business ventures. I think he is beginning to enjoy it despite how much he protests. I think he feels he has lived enough adventures and is now more content to tell the stories about them. Merrill would like to continue her studies into elven history."
"As long as the witch just reads about it and doesn't try to recreate it again. We know how well that turned out." Fenris growls.
"Leave her be, Fenris. She has learnt a painful lesson and I feel responsible for how that turned out." She sighs, feeling regret that Merrill can never return to her people and at the death of Marathari.
"Sebastian is about to take his final vows. Once he is fully integrated into the Chantry, he will no longer want to be seen with us. We break far too many of the rules; it wouldn't be fair to compromise him like that."
"That might not be so bad. He is a good friend to me, but I tire of his preaching. If I am to find a way to the maker, I'll do it my own way." Fenris reflects.
"Bodahn has been making arrangements for him and Sandal to go and work in the Orlesian court. I will miss them both when they go. Anders is different, he just talks like there is no tomorrow. He's up to something, but he won't tell me what it is."
"Why would you worry about him? He has done nothing but thrust his mage manifesto under your nose all the time. He is too extreme in his ideas. It doesn't help."
"He has been a good friend to me Fenris, despite what you think. You two sniping at each other all the time is the thing that hasn't helped."
"He would take you away from me if he thought he could. I reserve the right to snipe at him as much as I wish." Hawke smiles to herself, the spiteful tone that Fenris usually has when he speaks of Anders has lessened.
"The most interesting thing has been talking with Isabella. Now that she has her ship, she will go. She says she's only staying to see what happens with me, but that won't last for long. The pull of the sea will draw her and she will be gone. She has offered to make me a member of her crew..."
She looks up at Fenris, a hint of a challenge in her face. He looks back at her,
"Really? That's what you want to do?"
"Maybe I'm romanticising...a life on the ocean wave and all that, but since she mentioned it, I have thought about it a lot. To be able to explore and see places I've only read about. To go where no one knows who I am. To leave all this tortuous arguing behind. No responsibilities. To be completely free to do whatever you want."
"Hmm...eating terrible food, listening to sailors singing, feeling sick all the time, squeezing into a small cabin, getting caught in storms and having to do what Isabella tells you to do...very appealing." He has trouble keeping the sarcastic tone to a minimum.
"Is it really so bad? Would you hate it that much?"
"As long as you are there, I think I could manage, the small cabin might be fun! But I state it now – No 'alone time' for me with Isabella – that is the deal breaker, and absolutely no parrots and hoopy earrings."
Hawke laughs as she has not laughed in a long time. She hugs Fenris, glad that he will do this for her.
"Well my old shipmate. I'll talk to Isabella tomorrow. After I've spoken to Orsino, he sent a letter asking me to see him urgently, I should do that first."