It was getting dark when Fenris followed the mabari on the winding path along the hilly shoreline. During the past months this area had become quite familiar to him since Hawkes adventures had often taken them there. On their first trip though he had been somewhat surprised to know the coast better than her since he had spent some time to ensure he had not been followed by slavers before entering he city for the first time. Hawke on the other hand had not left the city once. That had been how Fenris had found out of Hawkes yearlong servitude and how her employer had made sure all her jobs kept her securely in the city. Then there had been that pirate woman of course who knew every nook and cave on the whole jagged coastline. She had ended up offering her continuing help for Hawke after Hawke had helped her with some matter of hers, much like the rest of the group.
In the end though all of them could tell every path and cave there was to know. That memory made Fenris to notice something he hadn't thought much of before. He had been with Hawke on her every trip, but others had not. Had she done it on purpose? Or had it been his own insistence? Of course the others had all their own things to do which kept them occupied at times and for Fenris there was nothing except waiting Danarius trying to track him again. Still he couldn't deny he was quite taken with Hawke, the past week being enough proof of that, and the only reason he could think of was that he saw something like a new master in her, a person he wanted to protect with his own life if necessary. That was a disturbing thought since everything Fenris had sought to be was to be free.
The mabari gave a bark for Fenris to notice it had turned on a side path which in this darkness was welcome sign. He knew this side path would take them on a clearing they had often used for camping if they had deemed it so late they couldn't make it to the city before sundown. That gave him some hope of finding Hawke and the others just staying for the night, not forced to stop. As he had almost reached the top a gruff dwarven voice told him to identify himself but a happy bark from the mabari made Varric to lower Bianca while he tried to see whom it had brought with it. After Fenris had identified himself Varric's first question was if Bartrand was in Kirkwall, the hatred it was presented with explaining a lot of their delayed return.
To his disappointment Fenris could only tell that while Bartrand had arrived a week ago, he had also left not so long after. Fenris had even tried to find out where but apparently the dwarf had made it hard to follow himself. As their conversation drew out the mabari continued to the camp with a bouncy step, apparently pleased to have done what was expected. When Fenris followed soon after he saw Hawke chiding her mabari of not bringing Aveline as she had instructed. As he stepped in the meager light of their campfire the mabari took a few hops towards him and circled him as if wanting to show it had found a next best option. When Hawke noticed who had actually come her face could betray her surprise. While he certainly wasn't Aveline, he seemed to be the last person she'd expected to see.
While Fenris commented her daze she told she'd though he hated her now, hated her for being left behind. That he'd surely left Kirkwall or at least wouldn't want to see her anymore. How could he ever hate her? Hawke's emotional outburst had caught the attention of Anders who had been sitting by the campfire looking like he hadn't slept in a month. He stepped up as quickly as he could in that condition and came to stand half between them, asking what Fenris had done to her and telling him to not bother her, that she already had enough on her mind. The mage's over protectiveness irritated Fenris, more so because he deemed the mage to be the biggest danger there was. His intervention also made Fenris to notice there was no one else in the camp and he managed to ask where Bethany was right before thinking the better of it.
The question obviously seemed to have been the wrong one. Hawke was going to answer something but her voice broke. Instead she headed towards Varric's guard post and Fenris didn't even have time to consider following her before Anders told him not to do so. When Varric arrived a moment later to see what had happened to bring Hawke to him almost in tears he found the two arguing, Fenris blaming Anders of everything he was and Anders blaming Fenris for everything he was not. It took some effort even from that natural born diplomat to make them stop it. Neither of them could quite tell why they had got so heated over the matter. If Varric had his own assumptions he didn't bring them out. Instead he asked if Fenris could hold the watch over the night for them as he'd probably be in the best condition to do so, for which Fenris gladly agreed.
Sorry for the delay. My muse took a shore leave without asking me first (proverbial muse, that is, not a real person) leaving me with nothing to write. Hopefully getting back on track now.
About Fenris and how I see him, he's not stupid as such, but emotions are not his strong point, his own or others.