Promises: Chapter Two

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine but Bioware's.

The mageling, Fenris soon discovered, loved nothing more than the sound of her own voice. They had been together for a handful of days, and already he knew her life story.

Her name was Hawke, she told him, and she had a younger brother and sister. There was magic on both sides of her family, and her sister as well as her father were mages. She had been out with her sister when they had stumbled upon a group of slavers. The mageling had wielded her magic and commanded her younger sister to run and get help. That help never came, however, and she had ended up captured. Still the mageling stated that she had no regrets as she had been able to secure her sister's safety. It was a sentiment that Fenris could appreciate. If he had any siblings, he liked to imagine that he would do everything in his power to keep them free.

Fenris only interrupted her chattering to remark that Hawke didn't really seem like much of a girl's name. The mageling had taken a page out of his own book then and glowered mightily at him before admitting that she wasn't very fond of her first name and so she never bothered to use it.

Fenris took the hint and didn't ask what it was.

The mageling was currently nattering on about the different branches of magic. Or perhaps it was an explanation as to why she wasn't that great at healing. Fenris didn't really care to talk about magic at all, but he didn't have the energy to divert the conversation elsewhere.

"So creation spells work well for basic healing. It has its limits though, and Father always said that a true healer has to rely on spirits to perform any sort of healing that requires some finesse," Hawke said as she walked beside him. "Frankly Father could never explain to my satisfaction just how to tell a spirit from a demon—especially as how they're both creatures of the Fade and they're both drawn to mages—and so I never bothered with that branch. Seems too dangerous to me. I think I disappointed Father, not following in his footsteps and all, but I prefer to rely on my own strength. It's safer that way."

She paused, waiting for a response, and so Fenris favored her with a grunt of approval. For all that she was young and inexperienced, the mageling was not stupid.

"But while I'm not the best at healing and never will be, I'm really good at elemental spells. Apparently I'm a natural as one of my first bursts of magic involved setting Carver's head on fire."

That got a reaction out of Fenris. "You set your own brother on fire?" he asked in shock.

"Well not intentionally. And he did deserve it as he was being such a brat that day to both me and Bethany," Hawke stated. "I was only seven, and my control has improved a lot since then. But speaking of setting things on fire, a hot bath would be nice. I don't know when was the last time I felt clean. I don't suppose we have enough coin for an inn tonight?"

"Seeing how the last set of slavers we ran into had little aside from lint in their pockets, no." Fenris' voice was full of disapproval. If the mageling had a fault—aside from being a mage and talking too much—it was her rather skewed sense of morality. She had no problem with looting corpses. Half the time she was already riffling through their pockets before he could even put his sword away.

Stealing was a different matter. The second day they had spent together, Fenris had snuck onto a farmhold, intent on stealing a chicken or something else they could eat. The mageling had squawked after him, completely stripping him of the element of surprise and making so much noise that they were forced to flee. Fenris had tried to reprimand her afterwards but wound up finding himself on the receiving end of a lecture that went on and on about why it was bad to steal from people who worked so hard for what little they had.

To top it all off, after she had finished lecturing him, she had marched off to the nearby river and proceeded to catch a couple of fish for their dinner, which she didn't so much cook as burned to a crisp. The smell was still atrocious despite it being practically charcoal.

Fenris passed on dinner that evening. And breakfast the next morn. He hated fish. Just the scent of it was enough to turn his stomach. Hawke must have caught on to that fact—well he probably made it obvious given the face he pulled when confronted with it—and thankfully she never again suggested eating the slimy, disgusting stuff. The mageling was considerate like that.

It wasn't all bad having her with him. While he was no longer allowed to take the things he needed from wherever he could find them, her healing spells did save him the coin he would have spent on potions, despite her insistence that she wasn't very good at it. Her affinity for elemental spells meant that he no longer had to worry about being cold at night for she made sure to keep their fire lit. It was almost refreshing to be reminded of how useful magic could be if properly contained and controlled.

"That doesn't really answer my question, Fenris," Hawke said, rousing him from his thoughts. "Why don't you tell me how much coin we have and let me decide whether we can afford an inn or not?"

"Seeing how we only have forty silver, I don't think there's much of a decision to be made."

"We have that much?" the mageling exclaimed.

"I hardly think it's a fortune. Do not forget we need that money to eat." Especially since you stubbornly refuse to let me nick food from those who have plenty, he mentally added.

"Don't worry. I've not forgotten. But I noticed that you're not very good at bargaining, Fenris. Give me fifteen silver, and that should be enough for a room for us," she said. "I've my heart set on a real bath tonight."

"There is always the river, you know," Fenris pointed out to her.

"Yes, I know. But it's hard to warm up the water there the way you can in a bath. Besides you've been avoiding washing up there because of your abnormal fear of fish. I hate to break it to you, but you're beginning to reek."

"Fine," he gave up. "Fifteen silver but not a bit more."

Fenris could feel all eyes on them as the two of them walked down the dirt path that functioned as the small village's high street. They made for a conspicuous pair, a lovely damsel such as Hawke paired with an odd-looking elf such as he.

"What's wrong?" Hawke asked him.

"Everyone's watching us," he replied. "We really stick out here."

"Of course. I doubt this place gets much visitors." She stopped in her tracks. "I guess that is what passes for the inn around here," she said, nodding at a rundown building in front of them.

"It looks likely to have rats," Fenris muttered. "It's not too late to rethink this plan of yours."

"Hush you. The fact that this place is old and doesn't see much business is what's going to allow us to sleep with a roof over our heads for cheap." With more confidence in her step than anyone that young should have, Hawke led him through the inn's front doors.

Once inside, Hawke turned on the charm. "Hello," she said, smiling winningly at the man at the counter and tilting her head to one side. It was an act that Fenris had come to know well. It was amazing the sort of bargains Hawke could come away by just offering a smile. It was almost like stealing though he would never voice that thought to her for it would only lead to a fight. "How much would it be for a room for the evening?" she asked.

"Ten silver," the old man said, "and I'll even let yon dirty knife-ear sleep in the stable for free."

Fenris had come to recognize that telltale twitch of Hawke's fingers. It meant that the mageling was about to open her mouth and get herself into trouble. He quickly interceded as he didn't want Hawke to provoke the innkeeper into rousing the entire village to chase them out like she did last time. "That's unacceptable," he said in a flat voice. "I cannot protect my lady from the stables." He pushed down the thought that it was frightfully easy for him to fall back into his old role.

The man's eyes flickered over to the elf and then back to the mage. "You her bodyguard?" he asked. At the elf's nod, the innkeeper snorted. "Strange to see a lady with a bodyguard but without a maid."

"It was all my father could afford. My safety is paramount to him." While Hawke had taken up the lie Fenris had started, he could tell from the set of her mouth that they would have words later. Or at least, she would talk and he would pretend to listen. Considering how much the mageling liked to talk, it was a good thing that the sound of her voice didn't annoy him.

The innkeeper accepted their tale without further protest. They were given a room in the back, which was small and cramped but had the benefit of being next to the bath. Hawke insisted that he go first. "A warm bath will do you a world of good," she told him with a wink.

He agreed to go first gracefully. Fenris had learned that Hawke was very good at getting her own way, but what was more than that, a warm bath sounded like just the thing his aching bones needed. The tub had previously been filled with water. Though it was cold to the touch, it was warming up at a rapid pace. He quickly stripped out of his armor and settled in the tub, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he was enveloped by the water. It was the perfect temperature, no doubt due to Hawke working her magic from the next room. The control she had over her spells was nothing short of amazing. It was too bad that control didn't extend to her tongue.

While he could have happily stayed in the tub all night, Fenris roused himself out of the bath after only a half hour. He eyed his armor as he dried off. Like him, it could use a good cleaning. Fenris shrugged into his clothes and then deposited his armor in their room with the intent of cleaning it after he refilled the bath for Hawke.

Hawke's stare stopped him in his tracks. "What is it?" he asked suspiciously.

"It's nothing," she said. "It's just that…I haven't seen you without your armor before. You look a lot less spiky without it. And infinitely more approachable. I like you like this," she announced, her lips stretching into a smile as she gazed at him.

Fenris blushed beet red and turned his back to her. "I need to refill the bath. I'll let you know when I'm done," he said roughly. He quickly fled the room. Once Hawke was in the bath, he worked fast to finish cleaning his armor so he could have it back on him before she finished. Hawke was just as inclined to linger in the bath as he had been, and so Fenris was able to complete his task with time to spare.

The mageling frowned at him as she entered the room. "You know, I imagine it will be most uncomfortable to share the bed when you're all spiky like that," she noted.

"We're not sharing the bed. I'll take the floor," he replied.

"But—"

"Have you forgotten the tale we spun for the innkeeper?" he reminded her sharply.

"No, I haven't actually. Might I point out that I didn't appreciate the way you interrupted me? I was about to tell that nasty old man where he could stick his insults and—"

"Get us chased out of town…again. And then I would have to listen to your complaints for the next day or three about how much I smell. Thank you, but no."

"I wouldn't have complained all that much. I would have made certain to stand upwind of you like I did today."

He raised an eyebrow at her assertion but let it pass. "In any event, I shall take the floor."

"But it was your coin that paid for the room!"

"Then I should get to choose where I want to sleep and I choose the floor."

Hawke crinkled her nose up at him. "You can be very stubborn, you know."

"Ha! That's ironic coming from you," he snorted. The mageling in front of him was without a doubt the most stubborn person he ever come across.

"Fine," she said, "but next time, you'll get the bed."

"We'll see," was all he said as he settled down to sleep.

They were up early again the next morning as they were eager to be on their way once more. They had no set destination in mind, their only goal to be further away from any pursuers. Fenris had asked Hawke once if she would like to return to her home, but she had sadly told him that her father would have moved their family after her capture to protect them. As such, they had decided between the two of them just to follow the sun east.

In retrospect, taking the innocent but headstrong mageling into Antiva wasn't the best idea Fenris ever had.