"Hawke."
The voice sounded hazy and distant, barely piercing the metered throb that absorbed the world.
"Come on, sweetheart, open your eyes!"
That dwarf. It sounded like that dwarf. But it seemed so nice to finally lie down…
"Stand back," another man said.
"Sweet Creators, what are we going to do now? What else can possibly go wrong?"
"Mind not saying things like that, Daisy?"
There was a hum under her skin, familiar in a way, and it rose through where the throb and pulse was, tingling into her limbs. Hawke rolled and her eyes willed open, night blind amidst the bluish glow that enveloped her. Cringing as she breathed in, the rogue clutched her side with a heavy groan. Merrill, Anders and Varric were huddled around her.
"Why such the long faces," Hawke softly murmured, blinking lengthily. "Did someone kick your puppy?"
"Shit, Hawke," Varric almost laughed, though his cheeks were drawn. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you liked getting smacked around."
"Only by the right men," she said, lying her head back down. There was rock overhead and the lyrium ore around them glowed, contrasting with the peculiar red stone. "We're alive though?"
"Just barely," Varric said, sitting down beside her to cradle Bianca close. "Poor girl, it'll be alright. We'll get back to the surface and I'll have you good as new in no time."
"You get maimed by some rock demon thing, and he's more concerned about his crossbow," Anders said, crossing his arms and shaking his head.
"It was rather interesting, you can't deny," Merrill said, smiling weakly.
"I'd rather something horribly dull and safe at the moment," Anders murmured. "Preferably with hot water and a pastry of some sort."
"Do we have a way out?" Hawke asked, cringing again as she moved. She hurt everywhere – but at least the pain drove away the gnawing starvation. They had been living off of lichen and deep mushrooms. The taste was… lacking, to say the least.
"We were a little more concerned with making sure you were still alive," Anders said, catching her arm as she stumbled. He glanced at Varric, "Well, some of us."
"It's alright, baby," Varric said, gingerly shouldering Bianca. "You're still beautiful to me."
"Come on," Hawke rasped, limping away.
"I'm not sure how much more my magic can do," Anders said, cautiously eyeing her. "Do any of you have anymore elfroot?"
They all shook their head, and Hawke scarce looked back, "They're all gone. Unless we should have been stingy with them?"
Anders shuddered and shook his head, "No… no, we needed them."
"Lovely to hear," Hawke replied, trying to sound light-hearted. She pointed, "Come on, search about. That demon said there was a key. And Maker be damned if we make it out of here without something to our name."
"That's why I like you, Hawke," Varric chuckled, wandering off. "Always thinking of the bottom line."
"I just want it bloody well worth our while," she said, closing her eyes as she flagged. She leant against the cold stone. "I'll never hear the end of it if I return home empty handed. I sunk all of my family's gold into this delightful venture."
"Don't remind me," Varric grumbled, shuffling over the stone. He laughed once. "But you can remind me just how wonderful you think I am when you see what I've found."
"Is that for real? Do people just leave treasure and chests lying around like that?" Merrill asked, tilting her head as she stood by Varric.
Eyes filled with light for the first time in days, Varric chuckled and stooped down, "Only for us, Daisy. Only for us."
"You know, I must say again how glad I am you're more strapping a man than most mages," Hawke said under her breath. They were weighed down with everything they could carry, their pace quickened by the flush of fresh air. "You've certainly got enough spirit."
"Very funny," Anders smirked and looked down.
"My father was much more scholarly a mage," she said, winded as the ascended another path.
"Yet you still learned how to wield a blade rather well," Anders said.
"Well," Hawke grinned, adjusting her load. "I might have forced the issue when I was young - not that he didn't support it. But I was always trying to stab things."
"That certainly explains Bethany's attitude," Varric said, smirking. He walked with the same cavalier grace, despite the weight he bore.
"I didn't bother her nearly as much as Carver did," Hawke defensively replied. She shook her head and looked down. They continued their ascent through the dim tunnel.
"What was he like, your brother?" Merrill asked. "You don't speak of him much. Unless there's a reason for that - should I not be asking? Nevermind that I asked."
"It's alright," Hawke almost laughed, still looking down. "Some may find it rude, but this is my brother we're speaking of. He was a bit of an ass."
"I'm sure he thought just as highly of you," Varric nodded. "Coming from a younger brother."
"Of that I've no doubt," Hawke smirked. "He was always trying to one up me. Bethany had her magic, and I was always slipping out of situations and leaving him holding the bag. So he made sure he was stronger than either of us as we grew up. He could just sit on me if need be."
"He sat on you?" Merrill asked, cheeks hollow and skin sallow. "He didn't really, did he?"
"It was his only defence, honestly," Hawke smirked and straightened as she saw a light ahead. "Thank the Maker."
They hurried out the last few steps, emerging through a cracked, mossy door into a small glade of trees. From their vantage on the mountainside, they could see the shimmering sea in the distance. They each progressively dropped their packs, squinting in the bright light.
"Sweet sky, oh ye I never thought to see again," Varric laughed dryly, puckering his lips at the air. He breathed deep, "Ahh… how my ancestors live down there, I'll never know. They don't know what they're missing."
Hawke partially smiled, putting her hands on her hips as she still struggled to adjust. The sun was warm and the breeze too, stirring her dark brown hair. "I think I might just need to get a sun burn."