The morning sun crept lazily over the horizon, letting its first rays crawl to the small encampment on the hill. While they didn't seem to have any effect on the mage, Varric woke up well slept, for a first time in weeks. However, the sun rays nor the dwarf found Hawke besides the long dead campfire, a fact that didn't seem to disturb the dwarf a bit. When he got to Fenris to ask how the night had been and found Hawke sleeping against his sitting stone hugging her blanket, he only regarded it with a silent chuckle. Fenris wasn't in so cheery mood though. If he in the dark of the night had seemed almost human, his worry of the remnant expedition obvious and his emotions in the surface enough to argue with Anders, none of that remained. Now it was the broody elf they had got used to know again. He told Varric that the night had been rather uneventful, he had only had to chase some overgrown rodents away.
Hawke woke up soon after to their voices briefly seeming confused of her location before she hid it, either because she recalled the reason or because she deemed such show of surprise unfitting for herself. Instead she asked the men around her why they had decided to come chatting right besides her sleeping place, inviting another chuckle from Varric while Fenris instead of answering suggested he'd go to wake up the mage. Varric was quick to offer to do it himself mumbling something about a dogfight when he headed back to the camp. When they all had risen up and eaten a semblance of a breakfast it was time to pack up for the last leg of their journey back to Kirkwall.
The light of the day revealed the sad state of the group. Anders looked like a walking corpse, Varric had lost his jolly disposition and Hawke looked thinner than a scarecrow. Their scarce equipment was in bad shape, merely a few blankets and something you might have called a kettle. The most impressive thing was the amount of loot they had managed to haul nonetheless. Apparently neither Hawke nor Varric could have resisted their natural urge to loot everything that looked valuable and while they had somewhat sensibly left the heavier items behind they had an impressive collection of small and valuable things from crafting resources to small figurines, and couple pouches of assorted jewelry. They would have been rich by this loot alone, not to mention the earnings she stood to get from the main expedition partnership.
The traveling didn't take long, after all Fenris had covered it in an hour or so previous night. Even though their speed couldn't match the eager flight of his, they got in the vicinity of the Kirkwall before noon. When they got to the gates the guards in duty hailed Fenris as a comrade, a gesture which he absentmindedly returned. The questioning looks from the rest of the company were not unexpected. Fenris merely shrugged them away not being in the mood to explain his week spend on the gates. Besides, he was sure they'd hear about it from the guard captain soon enough. They found the said redhead earlier than he had thought waiting them in the gate square right when they had walked in, along with Isabela and Leandra. Even Merril had managed to find the place on time or more probably, someone had made sure to show her the way.
Aveline told that the guards who had been on the gate last night had reported her the peculiar act of Fenris after their shift, as they had already learned that the ghostly helper they had got for the week was an acquaintance of their captain. Since mabari hounds were not all that common in Kirkwall anyway, hearing that Fenris had chased one out of the gates had told her enough of the reason. When she had headed to tell the news to Leandra she had met Isabela who apparently had already heard the story as well. She didn't get further with her explanation when Leandra with a frightened tone asked where Bethany was. Hawkes face showed that this was what she had dreaded, to tell her mother that she had lost the sister she was out to protect.
Fenris was afraid that she'd break again like she had done last night but instead she was able to give fairly collected explanation, to tell that her sister was alive and in good hands, and that they'd hear about her soon enough. It was obvious for him that the story she gave for her mother was not the whole painful truth but there would have been little sense to intervene. Even Isabela had some sense to stay quiet even if her expression told that she didn't believe that to be everything there was to it. When Merril started to ask why Bethany had had to stay somewhere else her question soon changed to why Isabela had stumbled to her as surely that was not possible on even ground at least with Isabelas reflexes. Fortunately Leandra seemed oblivious to their squabble, her emotions already battling between sorrow of losing yet another child and relief of at least other girl coming back.
when the first greetings had been exchanged Aveline led them to a small barrack room near the gates telling that the current shift had gladly offered to borrow it for a while even if for personal use after hearing the reason. This was either a testament to her popularity as a captain or their respect towards Fenris, probably both. On the wooden table had been prepared a lunch which, while nothing too fancy, was very welcome to the group that had mostly eaten just roasted rodents lately. When they had started eating and recalling their tale to eager listeners Fenris departed in silence, only the mabari giving him a questioning whine.
He had got them back, done his part and now he wasn't needed anymore. When Hawke would next time invite him to help her in her jobs he'd eagerly be there but that was all he was supposed to be. Was he content with that position? He didn't have time to answer that question when a cheery voice called her name from the doorway he'd just left behind. Fenris didn't have to turn back to know it was Hawke, although why she'd even bothered with him was not so clear. When he did turn around she playfully berated him, telling that celebration without him would feel as sour as his usual expression. That their gathering was sorely missing it's resident brooder. Why did she care was Fenris's only thought when he let her lead him back in.
*offers the story a cupcake with a candle* yay, full 10s, that is, ten reviews, ten favourings and ten alerts. Not meaning it had to be left to that of course ^_^
Again my apologies for the delay.