Nightmares Should Really Stay in the Fade Re-Write
Chapter 2
He was quiet, his eyes closed. She could hear his soft, slow breathing and see the rise and fall of his chest as her own eyelids fluttered open. Before she was quite aware she was awake, she could see the scene play out before her eyes, like a distant dream.
He had pushed her out of the Dragon's reach just in time to take her place. Grateful though she was that it hadn't been her, she'd wished he hadn't felt such a need to protect her, because the brave warrior had been through so much agony already. The colossal beast bit him and shook him, then threw him to the ground. Annabelle had rushed to his side, screaming his name, a mix of horror and disbelief in her panicked voice.
Merrill had been unable to heal him, but they stopped the bleeding once the dragon was slain by Aveline, thus keeping his condition as stable as they could. The group then faced the challenge of carrying the unconscious elf to Darktown, where Anders' clinic was.
The mage hadn't been very happy to see Fenris, as the two almost never saw eye to eye, but Anders healed everything he could with his magic, and sewed and bandaged the rest. Hawke had helped, although she was no mage, but she'd previously learned from the experienced healer how to properly clean and dress a wound.
She gently let go of his hand and his face twitched a little, but his eyes did not open. Hawke stood up, and with one final glance in Fenris' direction, she walked out the door of the guest room. Her mother met her outside the door.
"Good morning, dear. How is your…um, friend, doing this morning?" Leandra knew little of Fenris, but from what little she knew, he gathered that the elf was close with her daughter. Quite close.
"I think he's doing a lot better. I'm just glad he wasn't alone." Hawke told her mother. It had been three days since the fight with the dragon, and Fenris had only been conscious for two of them, but he'd been able to sleep soundly only the night Hawke held his hand.
Leandra nodded. "Good to hear, by the way, while you slept, your friend Merrill came by. She left a note."
"Oh?" Annabelle raised an eyebrow, her blue eyes curious. None of her friends, save for Anders, had come to the mansion since Fenris had been injured. The mage had only come to check up on the elf's wounds, and Fenris had not been very happy about this.
Annabelle walked into the main hall of the estate, and the flower pots and their occupants looked healthy as ever. She chuckled, knowing why before she even read Merrill's note. It was on the writing desk next to one of the pots. It read;
"Aneth ara, lethallin,
I came and watered your flowers for you. While you are looking after Fenris, be sure to remember to take care of yourself. Fenris needs you, and so do the rest of us, Hawke!
-Merrill"
"Aww, that was so sweet of her." Hawke said out loud. There was a knock at the door. Annabelle walked over through the mudroom and towards the front door, and opened it. It was Isabela, Aveline and Varric.
"How is he, Hawke?" asked Varric. Annabelle smiled at her three friends, and invited them into the mudroom.
"He is recovering, although I'm not sure how much company he'll want today, he's been through quite the ordeal." she replied as her friends stepped in.
"So we've all heard. The poor elf took quite the beating." Isabela said.
"Indeed." Annabelle's stormy blue eyes grew sad and filled with hurt. "It should have been me, Isabela, not him!"
"Don't worry Hawke. He's strong, and he will recover. He also stopped the dragon from hitting you with full force. Fenris saved your life." Aveline said wisely.
"That's…one way to look at it." Hawke replied softly. "He finally slept soundly last night, " she added, slightly more cheerful in her tone.
Varric and Isabela glanced at each other, both smirking. Leandra came to greet her daughter's friends, and Varric asked, mischievously, "How do you know? Did he tell you, or did you…um…" he paused awkwardly as Leandra glared at him.
The older woman frowned. As far as she knew, the elf had broken her daughter's heart, and she shot Annabelle a disapproving glance.
Hawke blushed. "He…told me."
"Honey, you're a terrible liar." Isabela said with a chuckle. Aveline looked at the former pirate sternly.
"You'd be one to talk, whore." said the guard captain.
Hawke sighed. "I was in the room, alright? But that doesn't mean we did anything!"
Varric rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Hawke!"
Annabelle giggled. "Nothing happened, Varric!" Her face was now beet red.
"Fenris?" Hawke called through the open door of the guest room a few minutes after everybody had settled down from teasing her.
"You have some visitors." She approached the bed. Fenris turned his head to face her.
"I must admit I am surprised." he said gruffly. The white haired elf cleared his throat softly.
"Why?" asked Annabelle. "They're your friends, Fenris. We all care about you, you know." She smiled and he nodded in response.
"I suppose I am feeling up to some company. Who's out there?" he asked.
"Isabela , Aveline and Varric." she replied. "Should I let them in one at a time?"
"Sure, but stay with me, Hawke?" he asked, sounding a bit unsure.
"Of course." She smiled and stroked his hand. Isabela came in first.
"How are you feeling, Fenris?" she asked. The marked elf shrugged lightly.
"I've been better," He said softly. "The pain's going away, but it is a slow process.
"I see." she said, pulling some of her dark brown hair back into her bandana and out of her face. "Did you want anything from the market? I'll be going there with Merrill later." She asked.
"No, I appreciate the offer though." he answered. After Isabela left, Aveline same into the guest room.
"Aveline." Fenris greeted the captain of the guard politely, and it was obvious he respected her. She smiled at him.
"You had us all worried, Fenris." She said. "I'm relieved to see you're alright."
"I understand I have you to thank for helping Hawke drive back the beast?" he asked her.
"I struck the final blow," she said simply. "but you did a lot of damage, Fenris. We all owe you, in a way." Aveline smiled again at her fellow warrior.
Varric was the last one to come through the door, and the dwarf seemed happy to see Fenirs was doing well.
"Good to see you're still kicking, broody. It's no fun without you." he said lightheartedly. Annabelle chuckled and Fenris' expression softened significantly.
"Thank you Varric. It's good to see you too."
"I hear you and Hawke are getting quite close." Varric said, pausing knowingly. fenris raised a dark eyebrow.
"I suppose we have…" Fenris said, quite unsure of himself.
Hawke smiled. Varric chuckled, and both Annabelle and Fenris began to blush. Even the tips of Fenris' pointy ears were pink.
A/N: Okay, next chapter the plot gets darker, for those of you who are into that stuff. Please, review! I love knowing what y'all think! I want to see how I have improved since I wrote the original version of this fic! Thanks!