Hawke didn't turn as she heard grunting behind her, sitting on the roof of Gamlen's house to look at the ocean. With her chin on her hand, she watched the sunrise in the distance.
"Maker's breath," Anders muttered, panting a bit as he walked over. "Bethany said I'd find you up here... I thought it'd be easier."
"And you expected me to make something easy for you?" Hawke said with false bravado. "Shows what you know."
"Too true," he murmured, shifting his weight. He looked towards the sun, quiet a while. Finally, he looked at her and said, "I wanted to check and see how you were doing... what happened at the Blooming Rose was unsettling."
"Oh, you know me," Hawke replied, dropping her arms down. "Always up for a little forceful play."
Anders cleared his throat, crossing his arms before meandering closer, "It's alright to be upset by it. I know mages do some terrible things."
"People do them," she replied, closing her eyes and running her hand around her neck. There was a thin line of clotted blood, scarce noticeable. "We're all just terrible people, no matter."
"But it does matter," Anders finally sat beside her, dangling his legs off the building. "I'm sorry I didn't notice what was happening sooner."
"Indeed, I should be hurt you weren't more eager to watch me cavort with an exotic prostitute," Hawke looked at him, her eyes heavy with fatigue. She pouted falsely.
"She's dead, at least," he said, his brow knitting together as Hawke caressed her neck again. "Maybe I worry too easily."
Hawke closed her eyes, her voice softening, "I've just never had anything like that happen before. I was looking out of my eyes, listening to my voice - but I had no control. And suddenly I was nearly killing myself – and not with bad puns."
"Anyone would have been disturbed by it," Anders said. He offered her a satchel, "I thought you might want this. A tea, it might help you sleep."
"Always trying to drug me," Hawke smiled a bit, looking at him. "You know, I'd rather be awake if you're going to take advantage of me."
Anders shook his head with a sigh. They both looked at the sun again, its rays finally stretching above the rooftops. The air was humid, and a fog hung over the water.
"Is that what it's like for you?" Hawke quietly said, toying with the satchel of tea. "With Justice?"
"In some ways," Anders said, a shadow over his eyes. "It is part of me, yet so foreign. Something born deep within that grows into a monster all its own."
"Should I be offering to tame the beast?" Hawke grinned slightly.
"Please don't," he quietly said, looking into his lap. "Maybe I shouldn't have come."
"Hardly," Hawke said, leaning against him. She lifted the satchel, "I needed my head medicine. And you needed to see a sunrise to see beyond the night."
"I can't believe you're making me stay here!" Bethany said, throwing her hands up in frustration.
Hawke closed the door to the small room, returning to her pack to lash a few more flasks and poultices to its growing girth, "It's not safe down there. I won't have kept you from the templars all these years just to see you lost to some darkspawn. Or have you forgotten what happened to Ser Wesley?"
"No, I remember," Bethany's voice weakened, and she sat down on a crate. "It is just going to be very lonely without you. So who is going then?"
"Anders said he would come," Hawke replied, drawing in a breath as she sat beside her sister and honed one of her daggers. "And Merrill seemed interested."
"You're bringing the blood mage instead of me?"
"Indeed," Hawke replied with a taciturn grin, "She seemed more expendable."
Bethany laughed emptily, putting her head down in her hands. There was the quiet sound of stone over veridium before she finally said, "I suppose I didn't really want to go anyway."
"I know," Hawke chuckled.
"Some part of me feels like I should be there with you. My magic could be of so much use." Bethany murmured, watching her sister's hands. "That I could look out for you for a change."
"I leave mother in your capable hands," Hawke wrapped an arm around Bethany. "Who else could I trust to keep our dear uncle from making our situation in the city worse?"
"So when does the expedition leave?"
"Two days," Hawke said, eyes down again. "And you should have a few weeks to prepare the celebratory feast for our return. After which we shant have to worry about money or anything like that again."
"If mother gets the estate," Bethany said, looking at the door.
"She is more persuasive than she seems," Hawke chuckled.
Bethany stood up, "I'll be back later."
Hawke raised a brow.
"Just some errands I forgot."
"As long as you don't wear the 'I'm an apostate' sign," Hawke murmured, inspecting the blade in her hand.
"But I was so tempted," Bethany rolled her eyes and left the room.
The air was damp with an ocean breeze as Bethany snuck down to Darktown, keeping her hood up through the clogged passages of makeshift, shanties where her fellow countrymen to struggled to survive. She went to where the lantern was lit. There was a group of individuals at the back, amidst which she could recognize Anders. There was a cry of pain that muffled against the walls, and she hurried closer.
"Please keep him still, I must get the metal out," Anders said, his voice eerily calm.
"Can I help?"
Anders did a double take, up to his wrists in blood as he manipulated the knife on the man's leg, "Bethany – please, yes. Of course."
"Please stand back," Bethany softly said, jostling to kneel by the man's head. "Just stay calm, you're in good hands." With a quiet word, she drew upon the Fade, an ephemeral glow about the man's head, and he sighed. His family stepped back to sit on a cot as Anders quickly worked. He soon dropped a metal shard off the table, and healed the wound.
"You should be alright to work," he said, grabbing a cloth to wipe his hands. "But go easy on it. It still needs time to heal further."
The man sat up, cheeks flushed and a sweat on his brow as he looked at his leg. "Thank you, serah. More than I can say. And to you, miss."
Bethany stood up, rubbing her hands together as she gave a quick nod, "Hardly much on my part, Anders is the real healer."
They helped him off the table, and he pulled on his pants, soon leaving with his family close behind. Anders gave her a damp cloth and she wiped her hands as he tried to scrub the blood off his own.
"He was panicking," Anders said, looking down. "So many do. They are so desperate for any coin, if they cannot work… but I digress. What brings you here?"
"My sister said you agreed to go with her into the Deep Roads. I wanted to thank you," Bethany replied, following him to the back of the clinic.
"Oh," Anders said, an odd grin on his lips. "Well, seemed the right thing to do. Some business about being a former Grey Warden and all. Are you coming?"
"No," Bethany said, "Marian doesn't think it best."
"That's good," he replied, and his voice dropped. "It's not a pleasant place. You'll do better having never seen it, I promise."
"I see," Bethany quietly chuckled. She looked at her hands, before asking, "You know some days it's surprising. Our father was always trying to keep me from harm – just like Marian does. Nevermind what trouble she ran and got into."
"Has she always been so capable?" Anders smiled tiredly, and Bethany followed as he walked back to wipe the blood from the table.
"Here, let me," she took another cloth and worked opposite him. "As long as I remember, Marian was always there as my shield. Father always said that she would be, that I could always look to her."
"You're very lucky to have each other," Anders softly said.
"I know," Bethany replied, hesitating. "I know I've said it before, but you remind me of him. It's been good to have you around."
Anders looked away. "It's been odd having people to… fit in with here."
"I cannot know how hard life must be for you," Bethany said, "With your struggle. But you're a good person."
"Thank you for thinking so," Anders' voice wavered.
Bethany pursed her lips as she stopped, "But none of this is why I came here… could you do something for me, Anders?"
"Anything for a fellow mage," he chuckled.
Weakly smiling, Bethany twisted the dirty cloth as she said, "Would you look out for my sister? When you're in the Deep Roads? She might act invincible, but I… I don't know what I'd do if she doesn't come home. Or what it would do to mother."
Anders stopped, turning over his thoughts before he smiled thinly, "I will. So will Varric, I've no doubt."
"He's got a heart of gold, I know, but I…" Bethany exhaled.
"I promise I'll bring her back," Anders said with a nod.
Bethany unknotted her fingers, "Thank you. I owe you one."