Chapter 2:
By the will of the Maker
From the point when Áine Hawke had to kill Anders, everything went on in a sort of blur. She helped the Templars to attack the Circle even if she was a mage herself. When a group of them surrendered to her, Knight-Captain Meredith wanted to execute them, Áine could not bring herself of allowing it. She knew enough of the Templar's codex to refer to Knight-Commander Cullen, who supported her idea. Knight-Captain Meredith found herself cornered and had to oblige. About one half of the Circle survived this way... the other half, that didn't show any inclination to surrender, was killed. There was no way of avoiding it.
When they finally found First Enchanter Orsino, he told them that he was the one to supply a blood-mage who killed Hawke`s mother with resources for his experiments in necromancy. Hawke was not surprised, she already suspected as much from the clues found under the Foundry. It was one of the many reasons why she choose to help the Templars instead of helping mages in the first place. When Orsino resorted to blood-magic and changed into a horrid abomination, Hawke wasn't surprised either. It felt good to end his life, to smash his head with the heal of her boot.
Áine Hawke expected that Knight-Captain Meredith, when the Circle would be dealt with, would turn against her. She recognized the red lyrium from which Meredith`s sword was partly forged of. It was no secret to her that red lyrium driven people insane, even-more-so if their sanity was questionable from before they came in contact with.
What Áine didn't expect was the un-human powers that were granted to Meredith. She was fast, deadly and even was able to animate the bronze statues that menacingly adorned the city of chains. The battle was brutal and Hawke doubted they would come out victorious. It was a surprise to see that not only her brother Carver, but Cullen himself objected Meredith when she declared the Champion of Kirkwall to pose a threat to the city and has to be thus eliminated. Cullen stripped Meredith of her command and all other Templars supported him. If at first Hawke was the one to side and help the Templars against mages, now the Templars were helping Hawke against Meredith.
Hawke hardly had time to actually fight as she was struggling with healing her companions and the Templars alike. She had just a basic knowledge of healing magic when she first came to Kirkwall. She learned a little more when she was occasionally helping Anders in his clinic and as she shown certain aptitude for it, Anders decided to teach her more complicated spells. She was almost as good with healing magic now as was Anders... when he still lived. Hawke found it slightly ironic...
It was a complete surprise when something shining like gold cough Áine`s eye. When she looked at the source of the sparkle she noticed that King Alistair came to help them in the fight. She thought that he returned to Ferelden ages ago. She met him, by his request, not so long ago and she found him an extremely charming man with marvelous sense of humor. Their somewhat brief encounter was quite nice and they parted in friendly and warm way. But considering the troubles he had in Ferelden and such, she really wasn't expecting his help. When he noticed that her gaze was on him, he offered her a wide, warm and somewhat ridicules smile that was all charm and simplicity. She returned one of hers to him, then they both focused back on the battle.
The next pleasant surprise was to see Zevran , a former Crow assassin from Antiva, to join the fray. She helped him once in past, and he helped her also, so there was no debt between them and even if he was terribly busy with assassinations of the Crow's Guild-masters he still found time and will to help her now. Hawke liked Zevran. He was ridiculously flirtatious and presented himself as a man who has no worries, no ties... but she felt that the reality was far from that. There was a depth to him that he was hiding from others. All in all, she was fond of him and she was glad to see him helping them. When he noticed her eyes on him, he winked at her and blew her a kiss. It made her chuckle even if the situation around them was beyond grave.
But the surprises did not end at that. An arrow swished through the air just beside her face and finding it's mark. She was just about to launch a fire-ball at whoever was shooting at her somebody or something behind her collapsed. Instead of incarnating the shooter without looking who might be, she looked at the direction from where the arrow came. A dark-haired man with gray eyes sketched small half-bow to her and gave her his signature sinful half-smile. She nodded her head in response, smiling herself. Gray Wardens claimed that they don't dabble in politics and yet, Nathaniel Howe came to her aid. She knew about his father, she knew that at one point he wanted to kill the Hero of Ferelden, Gray Warden Commander, the youngest of Cuousland`s, but was caught and recruited to the Wardens. When she meet him in the Deep Roads his demur was dark, his humor dark as his hair, but his eyes sparkled with mischief, but there was also an air of nobility around him, He was without a doubt one of more dangerous man that she ever meet, but one of more mysterious also. There was a gentleness in him that made him even more dangerous. She took liking to him almost immediately and was very glad to see him here.
Their chances of success were increasing with the addition of these three, but at same time, the healing of all came much more complicated. Áine felt that she will not be able to use her magic for longer, her lyrium was being rapidly depleted and if she would try to push herself over the limit, she would surely perish.
Áine closed her eyes for one second and immediately she could feel Fade tapping at her mind. As she opened her eyes once more, continuing with casting spells here and there, the Fade entered her mind and she could hear a voice that spoke only to her.
"Hawke, let me help you," the voice that sounded much like Vengeance spoke to her.
"What the hell are you doing in my mind," Hawke thought back.
"I want to help you, if you will let me," Vengeance answered.
"I will not be swayed to let you in," Hawke thought back. She would rather die, she would rather see everybody die than accepting anything that spirits or daemons would offer her.
"You don't have to, Hawke. I can tap with Fade and direct some of it's power to you," Vengeance spoke.
"I don't trust you so my answer is again no," she thought back.
"We only want to help you," another voice sounded, much like Vengeance, but somewhat different.
"Who are you," Hawke thought back. She was often tempted by the daemons, but never did two of them approach her at same time.
"Justice," the voice replied. "Trust us, please..."
"As Anders trusted you," Hawke accused.
"No, not like him. We ask nothing in return, we will give you nothing, we will just temporary amplify your connection to Fade, that is all," Justice said.
Hawke was just about to decline once more when she saw both Sebastian and Fenris being gravely wounded at same time. She tried to heal them both, but there was nothing more in her to give. She would loose them both...
"Do it," her mind screamed. There were enough Templars around her that would kill her should the spirits posses her. She was unable to let them die.
As she felt her power being renewed she called for Cullen, asking him to come to her site. She quickly cast the most powerful healing spell she ever read about, one that demanded enormous quantity of lyrium and was nearly impossible to be cast, healing each and everybody or her allies that was engaged into the battle, The warm, healing blue light enveloped the battlefield and it was so intensive that it eliminated the red flashes coming from Meredith. Everybody stopped fighting, even Meredith, all ayes turned towards her, from where the light emitted in awe.
It was a glorious sight, a breath-taking one and the light did not disappear as it was the usually case with healing magic, it persisted, lingered, protecting them.
Cullen was first to come out of the shock as he swiftly approached Hawke, then others once more engaged into the battle. Every cut, even the smallest scrape of flesh was healed as swiftly as they suffered it, the tiredness left their limbs, the light invigorating him with it's warmth. The markings on Fenris`s skin sung as they were basked in the healing energy, he felt no pain when he used them, something he never experienced before.
"Hawke," Cullen said to her.
Her concentration stayed unbroken as she spoke to him: "Watch me closely, please," she begged him.
"What have you done," he asked, his voice laced with concern.
"I... am not sure. Use what-ever skill you Templar have and cheek me for possessions," she ordered him, without looking at him.
"Hawke...," he whispered, hesitating.
"If there is any sign of it... you know what you have to do," she told him without even as much as blinking.
Cullen reluctantly did what she asked him and tapped into her mind, but he found nothing there, just Áine Hawke. The relief that he felt was visible.
"There is nothing, just you," he said to her softly.
"That's... good... but keep looking... you never know," she told him as she still kept the healing spell going on as strong as when it was cast.
"I will," he answered. "But when all this is over... we will need to talk about this," he added. It was not a possession as far as knew for now, but the question of how she did what she did still remain and it was his duty as a Templar to find the answer.
"I understand," she said simply and she did understand.
Even with the spell that Áine cast and maintained it didn't seemed that the battle would come to it's end soon. Áine knew that she must do something more... The statues that Meredith animated were constantly "fixing" themselves even if they were previously taken apart. Most of the man and woman on the battlefield were occupied with battling those, the few that were engaging Meredith were unable to harm her by much, even if she wasn't really able to harm them either.
Cullen was keeping close to Áine, constantly running the cheeks on her, just as she asked him to.
It was now or never, Áine thought as she took few steps closer to Meredith. The woman noticed that and used the power from red lyrium to push her attackers back so that she was able to focus on Áine herself. Meredith came to same conclusion as Áine did, the battle would be decided between two of them only and as such Meredith use her powers to freeze everyone on the battlefield, even the statues on her side. It was obvious to Áine that Meredith, with all the power she wielded, didn't had as much grip on it as she thought she did. Áine was grateful that what-ever Meredith did seemed to have no effect on her.
Meredith went into long monologue, claiming that she will destroy Áine, cleanse the world of wickedness that is called magic, by the power of Maker himself.
Áine didn't say anything as Meredith pleaded the Maker to grant her the strength. Hawke ended the healing spell she previously held, there was no need for it anymore. She gathered the energy granted to her into her fingers, forgetting the staff that she previously held, letting it fall to the floor.
The energy of the Fade became almost visible as it leaked from Hawke`s fingers, enveloping her, embracing her, swirling around her like a wind, her dark hair moving in the air like she would be swimming in the water, the cloak raised and dancing behind her as she took slow steps towards Meredith who kneeled on the floor, still praying for power to the Maker.
Sebastian was unable to find the words that could describe what he was watching. He was certain that Áine Hawke looked more than Andraste herself than anything else. It was blasphemous to even dare to think anything like that, but he couldn't do anything but.
"The Maker denies you a boon, Meredith," Hawke`s lips moved, her voice sounding ethereal, cold and warm at same time.
"The Maker is on my side, he WILL give me the power to cleanse the world," Meredith snapped from her prayer.
"You went to far, Meredith. You draw the attention of the Maker on yourself and you shall feel his wraith," Hawke said ethereally. "The verdict was made," the statement promised finality.
"Blasphemy," Meredith shouted. "You do not know the Maker's will!"
Hawke laughed, cooldy. The sound of it made everybody shiver. "I pity you, Meredith, I really do...," the voice coming from Hawke was almost sad.
"Maker grant me the strength! Maker grant me the strength," Meredith chanted.
"You have strayed so far from the path of rightfulness... too far, Meredith. You have lost yourself and there is no coming back," Hawke spoke, the sadness and disappointment lingering in every letter spoken.
"MAKER GRANT ME STRENGHT," Meredith shouted as she stood up, raising the sword high into the air. The red lyrium shone brightly, shooting towards the sky like a beam.
"Fell the power of the Maker, by will of Andraste," Hawke spoke in same ethereal voice as before, warm and embracing like love.
The Fade penetrating from Hawke, lifted Marian slightly in the air. Her back arched as her hands risen high up, bright golden light shooting out of her fingers, enveloping the red from Meredith`s sword, swirling around it and then consuming it.
Meredith`s eyes opened wildly at the sight, the golden light coming crashing into her sword, into her fingers, into her body, making her skin crack and reveal the veins of red lyrium in her. Meredith fell to her knees, her sword still raised high in the air, her face twisted in pain as she screamed a scream that never left her lips. An explosion of red light came out of Meredith and then it was over... Tendrils of black smoke were rising in the air from her body which turned into a horrific statue made of red lyrium.
Hawke`s eyes closed as she "landed" back to the ground, the energy dissipating into nothing, she fall to her knees before the Meredith, her head turned to ground.
Everybody was in awe, lost for words, just standing there, staring, only one of the more novice Templars dared to approach the statue of Meredith, but he didn't touch it, simply nodded to Cullen, letting him know that the woman indeed isn't drawing breath anymore.
Hawke managed to get back on her feet. She felt strange. She spoke words that were laid on her tongue, coming rather from Fade itself than her. She worried that perhaps she was possessed and she observed Cullen who was tentatively approaching her, braced to be stricken down.
There was no doubt in her mind that Cullen will end her life. She briefly considered to fight back, then simply try to run away but her good sense prevailed and she just stood there, awaiting the judgment. If she is possessed, she must die, there was no way out of it.
Cullen stooped in-front her, his eyes held intensely on her, his face revealing a hint of fear. He said nothing as he used his Templar's ability, trying to figure out if he should kill her or not. It wouldn't be something he would be glad to do, but he would if he would have to.
Hawke`s companions held their breath, so did other Templars. Nobody knew what Cullen is planing to do, nobody even knew he making an examination as he was still firmly gripping his sword, his hand ready to strike. Each and every companion that she had, even Alistair, Zevran and Nathaniel were ready to defend her if needed.
Cullen didn't strike however. Everyone's eyes widened in uttermost surprise when he vigorously kneel before her, lowering his head and every Templar followed his example in a heart-beat.
Áine Hawke would live, that was obvious. Áine Hawke would not be forcefully taken to some Circle, that was obvious also. Perhaps she could even stay here in Kirkwall... it has become her home after all. Áine could not stop her lips as they tugged into a victorious smile and nobody blamed her for it.
In the next month Knight-Captain Cullen, the head of the Templars in Kirkwall put the name of Áine Hawke, an apostate, forth as suggestion for new Viscountess of Kirkwall, pledging the full support of the Templars of Kirkwall to her. None was surprised that it happened and at same time, everybody were surprised.
The Kirkwall nobility accepted the idea promptly and without a question added their voice of support to her. They wanted to make Áine Hawke their Viscountess for ages, all from when she battled the Arishok. The only reason that she didn't receive the crown back then was, that Meredith was against it, wanting all the power for herself, claiming that a mage cannot be a Viscount, threatening the nobles to destroy Kirkwall and them with her Templar army if they would push for it.
Further-more, even King Alistair expressed his support to the new Viscountess of Kirkwall, offering a political alliance with Kirkwall which Áine Hawke gladly accepted. There were details to speak of about it, but they were in no immediate hurry.
Kirkwall, the city of chains, stepped in new era. The rebuilding has begun.