Thanks goes to Kurgs, Kira Tamarion, and PirateShipForever69 for being my wonderful betas. Lots of loves! :)
Bioware/EA owns all the characters, I just provide weird scenarios :D
Also, Nazgullow on Deviant Art was kind enough to commissioned me a sketch featuring a scene in this chapter, when Hawke and the Arishok was fighting the mob:
rndragonsheart dot deviantart dot com /art/Dragon-s-Heart-386494284
P.S. Ellie, I probably owe you my copy of Witcher 3, which probably won't come out until 2014 xD
She've been helping me revising the older chapters, and giving me advice - plus fangirling with me over various games. And Varric, of course :P
"You what?" Isabela stared at Hawke from across the table that evening.
"It's not a crime, you know." Hawke raised her eyebrow at the pirate's expression. Isabella was looking at her like she just sprouted another head.
Surely the Arishok can't be that bad?
Hawke had spent half an hour convincing the Arishok to leave the compound. They should've been happy that her skill at smooth talking has improved; after all, they were the ones that helped hone her vocabulary and persuasion skillsets.
"Gotta give it to you, Hawke." Varric chuckled, patting her back. "Every day you somehow manage to do something new. "
"Don't encourage her, Varric!" Isabela said as she uncomfortably shifted her weight from one foot to the other before leaning her hip against the table. "You know, those Qunari are a shifty lot."
"Calm down, Rivaini." Varric smirked. "Just because Hawke can lure seven foot tall, wall of muscle out of hiding doesn't mean you won't get your share of men."
"True," Isabela conceded, but the tapping of her fingers betrayed her nervousness. "Their muscles are pretty nice, but they're a little too grumpy, don't you think?"
"When did you become so picky?" It was Varric's turn to shoot the pirate a questioning glance. Isabela didn't answer, just took another sip of her drink.
"So? Are you two coming as well?" Hawke looked at her friends.
"There's no way I'm going to miss this, Chuckles."
"I'll, uh, pass." Isabela shook her head, her expression pulling into a thoughtful calmness. "I have a... previous engagement I can't get out of." And with that the pirate quickly left.
"Hmm." Hawke studied Isabela's retreating back. Well, that was strange. "Does that seem suspicious to you? Or is it just me?"
"It's Rivaini you're talking about." Varric shrugged, only mildly interested. "She likes secrets."
"And you have no compulsion to wrestle them out of her?" Hawke raised her eyebrow, making a show of leaning away from the dwarf. "Now I'm worried."
Varric shook his head. "It would be like pulling teeth, Hawke. Secrets are like stories, you have to be interested in it, and let it come to you slowly. Forcing it isn't as satisfying as having it come to you of its own free will."
"You say that because you know she'll only trade her story for the story of Bianca's namesake." She grinned.
"Sad, but true." He sighed as he knocked back his drink.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You want an army for a short trip to the Planasene Pass?" Hawke stared at the Qunari leader who stood at the head of a big group of soldiers. By big, she meant there were at least thirty Kossith waiting to leave the compound.
Wait, that couldn't be the cause, could it? The Arishok and his men couldn't resist fresh air?
Though, after being cooped-up in one place all this time, Hawke couldn't imagine they would want to miss an opportunity for relaxation.
"They are restless." He stated, as if it should be obvious.
Actually, it kind of was, but she didn't expect to have to explain the finer points of elemental beauty to people who used to live on an island.
Well, perhaps they'll appreciate the trees and being able to move around nature. Maybe that will be enough.
"This was your idea." The Arishok reminded her, and for a second there was a hint of a smirk on his face. "Are you not up to the task?"
Hawke almost made a face at him, but held back. Since she is an Ambassador, of sorts, she tried to have a diplomatic response. If he want to play the taciturn guest, she'd oblige in trying to be a mature guide. She smiled sweetly instead, but the look in her eyes was haughty, determined. "I'm up for the challenge."
He merely grunted.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was rather a long walk to the Planasene Pass, but thankfully an uneventful and peaceful one. Hawke began the trip by telling stories of the forest's history - what she could remembered of it from her mother's stories, but after a while, she quieted, and opted to let the Kossith and their leader enjoy the silence.
It was hard to read the Qunari, since their faces always remained impassive, their stance watchful; but there were a lack of tension in their bodies that she figured they must be enjoying the scenery as much as she. Hawke didn't get to go here as much as she would have liked, because it was a little out of her way, and most jobs involved running around on Wounded Coast, or within the walls of Kirkwall.
As they walked, she looked over to Varric and Fenris; with nothing to collect, no one that needed to be killed, they, too, were enjoying nature. With a bigger smile, Hawke strolled beside the Arishok, and occasionally pointed out good areas for collecting medicinal herbs and berries.
After an hour or so, she suggested to stop and rest. The Arishok did agree, but only because they found a decent spot to stop, and he gave his men the time to forage.
The Qunari don't like to waste time, do they, she mused, watching as the giants dispersed into the jungle, and looked for things they could bring back to the compound. Their leader settled down in a shaded area, and Hawke took that as an invitation to join him.
"It has been nice and quiet morning, hasn't it?" She grinned, leaning against a boulder near him. They were in the thicker part of the forest, and were shielded from view - not that a lot of people visited this area, as the forest actually had a reputation for being haunted. She had not seen any evidence to support that, but she was grateful for the lack of people.
"It has been." He agreed; his attention focused on the rustle of branches. "Until now."
Hawke huffed. Next to her, Varric chuckled, and even Fenris was smirking. Damn, what happened to sticking up for your friends? "Are you always this quiet then?"
He didn't answer her, opting to put his elbows on his knees and rest his chin on his fist as he studied his surroundings. "You travelled far, Hawke."
She raised her eyebrow. This is the first time he'd ever referred to her by name. I must be doing something right. Although, hearing her name in his deep voice made butterflies flutter in her stomach. What would it be like to hear him calling me in a familiar tone, she wondered.
"Not as much as I like." She sighed. "Before, there wasn't time to have leisure trips. Now that I can, I like to see what I've been missing." As she said that, her gaze was on the form of the Arishok, her eyes full of curiosity.
"You want to learn about the Qun?" He shifted the focus of his gaze toward her.
Hawke found her whole body become alert. He didn't say much, nor seemed to have the intention of harming her - yet...her instinct told her that he could easily snap her in half.
Strange...I didn't have this impression about him earlier, but then, he didn't view me as someone worthy of his attention before. Now that he is looking at her - really looking, Hawke found it hard to sit still.
Hawke's mind went out of control. If he didn't believe that she could be someone trustworthy, why had he agreed to come with her? Did he want to see for himself if she is an honest person? Was that the reason he brought so many guards - in case she wanted to attack him outside of the compound? Was he expecting an ambush?
That last reason seemed likely. However, he didn't seem interested in talking to her, even when it was apparent that she had indeed brought him here just to show him around.
Could it be that mentioning the Qun's teachings lit a match in him?
All these questions, and Hawke wondered if it was wise to involve the Arishok in her life. Yet, she was truly drawn to the world that Fenris described. "I have heard stories."
"From him." He looked toward Fenris, and the elf tensed despite the fact that the Arishok hadn't actually moved.
So I wasn't the only one being affected by the Arishok's eyes, good to know.
"How did you come into learning our language?" The Arishok asked.
"I used to live with the Fog Warriors." The elf replied, leaving out the rest of the story. He didn't think the Arishok would be interested in a slave's flight from his master; especially since the Tevinter Imperium and the Qunari don't get along.
The Kossith leader looked from Fenris to Hawke, seemingly assessing their friendship. She felt like he was shifting through all of them one at a time and making his judgement based on what he found.
She could only imagine his opinion of her.
"You know, it's impolite to look at other people without saying something." She told him. "Or do you just enjoyed making people squirm?"
"You talk too much."
At those words, Fenris and Varric snickered; Hawke glared at them. "Traitors," she muttered.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hawke had lost track of time and how many bodies she had cut down, yet more were pouring out of the woods.
''What is this, an endless amount of target practice?'' She mused to herself. One moment they were relaxing, the next they were swarmed by numerous corpses. Where in the void did they come from!?
They had fought off at least four groups of reanimated death, yet they're being surrounded on all sides. Fenris and Varric were separated, driven to another area as the fight progressed, and now Hawke and the Arishok only had one another to rely on as they stands back to back; the majority of his men were still further into the forest, and it doesn't look like they'll be back here for a little while.
It would have been comical in any other situation, for the Arishok stood out amongst the corpses; not only was he larger than any of them, his red markings and decorated horns made him an easy target for the dead bodies to flock to.
Hawke surveyed the snarling teeth and rotten bones. Despite the numbers, she was confident that she could cut a path through them and escape, and so could her friends; but what about the giant at her back? Being the center of monsters' attention, what was he going to do?
She grimaced as she looked sideways at him, noticing his fingers clenching around his war axes. He, too, briefly regarded her with that hard stare. Hawke understood that look, because she probably wore the same expression. It was a look that asked, "Are you trustworthy?"
It was not a question of talent, for they both knew that the other was a fierce combatant.
No, this was more personal. Fighting is easy, trusting another person to have your best interest in mind is another matter; and for them, it went beyond this battle. How personal of a matter it was, Hawke is not sure, nor did she have time to contemplate it; what she was sure of, with what she've seen of him, was that she could trust him with her life.
A smile spread on her lips, and she met the Arishok's eyes with a firm look before blocking a rusted blade with her own. "Let's hope your men make it back to us before we're minced meat." She told him as she sunk her twin blades into the chest of a monster and ripped him apart – bones flying in different directions.
The Arishok's reply was to swing his axes in a wide arc, effectively clearing away the monsters that came close.
"Show off." She rolled her eyes at five feet's worth of dead bodies - well, dead-er. "You have longer arms! And weapons."
"Comparing my weapons to yours," He snorted. "is an insult to the weapons. They all are unique."
"True." She grinned, throwing him a sly look as her weapons carved crisscrossing shapes into two corpses. "Still, my babies are faster than yours."
The Arishok ignored her, concentrating on not letting the monsters pass from his side to hers. His fighting was so impressive that Hawke almost forgot about attacking and just watched him. With his strength, he drove the monsters back, and did not show them any mercy. His weapons seemingly moved on their own, and struck down any opposition. Bodies quickly littered for yards around them, and the Arishok wasn't even breathing hard. His calm demeanor, and the commanding way he wielded his weapons gave her chills; she only barely avoided being stabbed in the arm, because she was too busy watching him.
"Pay attention." He ordered, not even looking at her. He knew she could fight, though her focus on him distracted her.
"We should spar sometime." She suggested before she could rein herself in.
"When your skills are sufficient." He responded with a glance down at her.
Hawke puffed up with indignation at his mocking. Just because I was admiring his skills! "Body counts!" She fumed, turning her attention back to the walking corpses. She knew that being a rogue, she already had the advantage of speed; and with her training, she was confident that her agility and flexibility would help her. She pushed him to the edge of her mind, but kept him in sight out of the corner of her eyes as she leaped off the ground and descended onto the bodies below, darting like a marlin from one enemy to the next, slicing up anything in her path.
Again, she lost track of time, until a large ashen hand clamped onto her shoulder and stopped her movements. She whirled around, weapons raised, fire in her eyes as she glided out from under the clawed fingers. Her weapons stopped a hairbreadth from his chest as she focused her gaze and realize it was the Arishok who had stopped her. She took a deep breath and looked around.
While she was busy fighting, his men had came running back when they heard the commotion, and were now doing a little clean up of what's left of the horde. A squishy sound came when she shifted, and Hawke looked down to see that she was standing on top of a skull; the ground around them was covered in rotten flesh and bones and dismembered body parts.
"Ew." Hawke made a face, stepping off the skull and stood tip-toes on the patch of grass that had the least gore. Remembering her purpose, she looked over the field, mentally counting her kills before looking back at the Arishok with a cocky grin. "Body counts." She said again.
"Your action is that of a child throwing a tantrum." He scowled, crossing his arms.
"Yes, well, I still have a higher count." She shrugged, glancing around to find her friends. They were easy to spot, with the size difference between an elf and a dwarf in a group of Qunari.
"It's a good thing you brought so many." She looked back up at him, her eyes accusing. "You were expecting me to stab you in the back?"
"You were an unknown."
"Didn't you say that I'm different from the others?"
"You were different." He nodded, waiting as his men and her friends drew closer. "And now I know you do have honor and skills. That is all that mattered."
"This was a test?" She stared at him, aghast. "These things were your doing?"
"I'm afraid not, Hawke." Varric answered, wiping his hand on a leaf. "Despite his almightiness, he couldn't have summoned up the dead. This forest is haunted."
"It really is?" She frowned at her friend. "I've been here a few times, nothing like this ever happened."
One of the Kossith spoke, and it was the Arishok's turn to frown.
"What did he say?" She looks from the Kossith to the Arishok, settling her eyes on Fenris instead.
"He said he touched something." Fenris translated.
"And the void spilled forth, nicely done." Hawke smirked, giving the Kossith a thumbs up, and grinned when he glared at her.
"I told you, Hawke." Varric chuckles. "When you take a vacation, chaos will follow."
"I guess this is our cue to head home." She sighed, resigning to cutting the trip short.
"I had thought you would put us in danger." The Arishok grumbled. "The fact that an Ashaad was careless in his surroundings needs to be addressed."
"I don't mind." Hawke sheathed her weapons. "It was unintentional. Besides, it was fun."
"Intentional or not." The Arishok cut in. "He was at fault. He will be punished for it."
"You can't just-" Hawke protested, but Fenris pulled her back.
"Arishok, he did help us fight off the corpses," Fenris said. "I believe his punishment should not be harsh."
"You claim to know the Qun?"
"I don't know everything." Fenris replied, knowing that Hawke would involve herself in this. As her friend, he would try to reason with the Arishok. "But even I know that your laws are fair. He made a mistake, and he helped in rectifying it. By your laws, that redeemed him."
"His help is but a fraction of his crime." The Arishok waved his hand, and the Ashaad nodded, silently heading off back toward the city by himself. "Don't involve yourself."
"How could I not?" Hawke had stayed quiet in hope that Fenris could help, but it seemed the Arishok was determined to carry out his rules. "I brought you here, wouldn't that mean I am part of his crime? His accomplice? Without this trip, he wouldn't have stumbled onto something dangerous."
"If he had been careful, none of this would have happened."
"If you punish him, then you have to punish me, too."
"Hawke, are you crazy?" Varric exclaimed, pulling on her sleeve. "Wait, I know you're crazy, but still. I don't know what the Arishok planned for that guy, but I rather not see you get hurt."
"I won't have someone being punished for nothing." She glared at the Arishok.
"It put your life at risk." He stated.
"I am not a weak person." She lifted her chin, offended at his words. "As you saw, I was able to defend myself just fine."
"Your kind are too quick to acquit mistakes." The Arishok growled, and the rest of the men stood straighter.
"And you are quick to point the blame." Hawke returned, raising her voice, "Why don't you blame the accursed - whatever he disrupted, too? Blame it for being there. Blame the one who placed it there. Blame it for existing!"
"Hawke!" Varric called, sensing the Arishok's tension. He probably did not like having his words being questioned by outsiders, especially in front of his own men. Dammit, he should have stopped Hawke sooner. "Arishok, perhaps there is a compromise?"
"What compromise?" Hawke asked, at the same time the Arishok shook his head.
"There is no compromise. It was his responsibility to be careful."
"Have you seen this jungle?" Hawke swung both her arms wide, gesturing at the space around them. "It is not strange to find weird things here."
The Arishok simply crossed his arms and stared down at her, expressionless, but his eyes spoke volumes about what he thought of her argument.
Hawke narrowed her eyes. "If he is to be punished, then I insist on sharing his burden."
"Hawke, you can stop being, uh, sensible any time now." Varric cursed.
"As you wish." The giant leader nodded at his small army, and they turned to leave. "Present yourself at dawn." He told the small fuming human and followed his men.