Seireadan Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall

Chapter One: For Ferelden

Home at Last

The sky had just begun to lighten with threat of dawn when Carver and Dan arrived to stand before the door of their family home; they both took a deep breath at the same time causing them to chuckle at each other. "Ready for this reunion, Carver?"

"Are you," laughed Carver?

Dan grinned and knocked firmly on the door. The two stood waiting for sometime before they heard their sister's voice. "Who is it?"

"Your brothers," answered Seireadan Hawke.

They both laughed as the door was abruptly opened and Bethany flung herself at them. The brothers hugged their sister as she crushed all three of them together in a hug that had them both struggling for breath. Finally, Bethany released them before hustling them into the house.

Seireadan entered the kitchen first to find his mother sitting calmly in her rocker, but as soon as she saw her son she rose and moved forward to hug him nearly as tightly as Bethany had. Her hug was quick and after giving him a kiss on the cheek she reached for Carver and proceeded to shower him with her affection. Seireadan grinned because he knew his mother only showed the extra extravagant affection to Carver because his younger brother was so appalled by it. It wasn't long before Seireadan heard Carver weakly beg of their mother, "Enough, Mother, I am fine. Please release me." Their mother continued her babying of her youngest boy for a moment longer before releasing him.

The whirlwind of activity that occurred for the next couple of hours finally died down as the family and their close neighbors settled down to enjoy a celebratory breakfast. The group had gathered together in the backyard and Seireadan smiled to hear the familiar voices bantering and laughing together. He and Carver had returned a few of the young men that gathered to their families. The gratitude of their friends made Seireadan feel overwhelmed because he didn't feel as if he had done anything extraordinary to deserve it. Deep in his thoughts he took the cup his sister offered him without comment but when he heard her cry out Aonghas name his attention focused on his young cousin. The boy had obviously been planning on leaving without saying anything and Bethany's greeting of him seemed to catch him by surprise.

Seireadan waited patiently for his turn to greet his cousin, the grey warden. He had of course heard the news that Aonghas had successfully become a grey warden before the battle had occurred but he was sure the boy must have died with the other wardens in the battle and a part of him had felt some guilt when he thought the boy had died. Now though he couldn't help but feel as if his interference with Aonghas' attempt to flee Ostagar in search of Fergus had been the correct thing to do. When his turn to greet his cousin at last came he felt puzzled by the boy's avoidance of his gaze and when he felt the boy stiffen when he gripped the boy's shoulders he realized the boy was angry with him. Could the boy blame him for his current situation? He didn't have time to think on it further because the lad shrugged off his grip and before Seireadan realized what was happening his cousin's clenched fist slammed into Seireadan's jaw knocking him backwards. Seireadan stared at his cousin in shock as Carver stepped between them and grabbed Aonghas to prevent him from going for his elder brother a second time.

Preparing to Leave Lothering

It had been weeks since Seireadan and Carver had returned to Lothering when they heard the horde was nearly upon them.

Seireadan was going through his things as quickly as he could as a slow anger at having to abandon their home simmered inside him. He wasn't sure he was fit for company and sure enough when Carver stepped into his room uninvited Seireadan felt himself beginning to snap. Carver looked at him in alarm, as Seireadan leveled what was most likely a fiercely threatening gaze on his younger brother, and then spoke up quickly. "Mother wants to talk to you, immediately."

Seireadan dropped the things he was holding and fought back a mabari-like growl as he pushed by Carver to see what his Mother wanted this time. He could feel Carver following him as he entered the kitchen, but he didn't have time to speak to his brother before their mother spoke. "Seireadan, I want you to go to the Wolfe and Brynan homes and offer to have them travel with us."

"What? Why?"

"You and Carver brought their sons home safely and I feel we should help them as much as possible. Your Father would have wanted us to keep the Brynan family close; he and Donald traveled together for years before they moved here at your father's urging. Hannah and I have become very close. It would be wrong to abandon them."

"Why invite the Wolfe family, Mother?"

"Gwynne is one of the best friends I have ever had, she helped me with you children any number of times when you were sick. She and Mason are so much older now and it is too much for Tomas to have to see to them himself."

"Mother I'm not sure it's wise to travel in such a large group," warned Seireadan.

His mother gave him a "give me no nonsense look" and he shifted uncomfortably as her unrelenting gaze lingered on him; making him realize she wasn't going to allow for disagreement or discussion on the subject. "You are to go and speak with them and you are to not share your misgivings with them. Be polite and positive, Seireadan, and for the love of the Maker curb your urge to make light of things. No quips or jokes, Youngman."

"Yes, Mother," Seireadan answered politely before turning on his heel and doing his best not to storm out of the hut.

Tomas Wolf and his parents, Mason and Gwynne, had been friends with the Hawke family for nearly as long as they had lived in Lothering. Tomas had just reached his thirtieth birthday before the blight struck and he had run the stables for the local lord for just over ten years before he left to join the Kings Army. Sentimentality had made Seireadan relieved to find that he was one of the men he and Carver had managed to help escape Ostagar, but now the idea of the man traveling with them left a bitter taste in Seireadan's mouth. Tomas had for years given Seireadan orders; expecting the younger man to obey him without question. Seireadan wasn't sure things were going to go smoothly if Tomas wasn't willing to acknowledge Seireadan as the leader of their escape. Even so Seireadan obeyed his mother's request and after receiving a relieved agreement to join them from Mason and Gwynne he headed to the Brynan's home. Tomas he was told was in town but would be back shortly

The Brynan twins, Shannon and Sarah; there older brother, Jensen; and their parents, Donald and Hannah, had been close to the Hawke family for over six years. Shannon and Sarah had a couple of years on Hawke's own twin siblings but the two sets of twins were very close. Jenson was two years older than Hawke and the two of them had been rivals for many of the young ladies in town. Both Jensen and Seireadan had tagged along with their fathers on many of adventures. Donald Brynan greeted Seireadan with a smile and nodded in agreement as Seireadan requested they come with them. The man smiled and touched Seireadan on the shoulder telling him how proud his father would be of him.

Seireadan was heading back to the Wolfe house when Tomas met him half way. "My parents told me the plan. Tell your mother we are ready when she is." Seireadan moved to walk away but Tomas grabbed his arm and pulled him back around to face him. "I'm willing to let you lead, but you had best think things through carefully before making decisions. If I feel you aren't I will speak up, understood?"

Seireadan grinned, "Well I wouldn't want you to stay silent if you have something to say. I remember that time when you were unable to speak; you almost went insane."

Tomas laughed as he released Seireadan and nodded him toward home, "You had a harder time not being able to speak if I remember correctly."

Seireadan laughed as he walked away, "I remember it like it was yesterday!" Seireadan could still hear Tomas laughing as he closed the door to the Hawke family hut. "They are all coming with us, Mother," he called out to the house.