Chapter 31:

Her right hand shook as she gripped her dagger tightly. None of them could see her face except Anders, and he seemed to be wearing a pained expression. "I do not expect any of you to follow me. I will not ask this of you." She straightened her shoulders though her grip on her blades did not ease up.

Merrill stepped forward slowly, Varric following at her heels. Aveline seemed torn as she looked at Hawke. "Hawke, you cannot be serious. You are going against the Templers. It is suicide." Aveline's voice seemed disturbed, but maybe that was fear. Fenris could not tell.

"I will go down protecting the mages. They are innocent. If anything Anders should be dragged through the town by horses until he dies, not these people." Anders did not flinch, he seemed to accept her statement.

"I will not protect those filthy mages." Words fell out of his mouth before he even registered them. He saw her tense and turn her cold blue eyes towards him. She seemed crazed, or dazed. It looked like she was going to cry as she ripped throats open. "I cannot do that."

"Then I will see you on the battlefield." She started to walk off towards the gallows without a second glance. The others stood dazed at the confrontation. They had all thought there was something more between the broody elf and the champion, and there was, but he couldn't change his views, he could not follow Hawke to save these filthy mages. He bit his lower lip as he watched her leave, he wanted to run after her but these wounds they ran too deep. The fact she wanted to protect the people that left her with marks like him.

Varric patted him on the arm. "It was nice knowing you…" Even Aveline was following her, the captain of the guard turning on her town to follow this champion. He turned and walked towards where Meredith had left. He would kill her before he saw her destroyed by these mages. That is what love was, love was a dagger through the heart. It was doing anything for the person you loved, even if that something was against their wishes.

Varric had never seen her cut through people so ruthlessly. She kept ahead of them at all times, taking down the Templars before they had even known what was going on. She even had to cut down mages that had sacrificed themselves to demons because of fear. What a mess this had all turned out, and it was all because of that stupid mage. He wished he had never arranged for those two to meet. No one could have seen this outcome though, not even him with his great penchant for stories.

He could see Hawke was in pain, but she wouldn't let Merrill touch her. The boat ride was silent and cold. They all seemed resigned to follow Hawke to the end, but what was that end? It seemed like death. Why couldn't he have continued to get drunk in a pub, rather than get entangled with this raven haired maniac?

"Are you sure about this, Hawke?" Aveline's voice seemed like a whisper as they crossed through the foggy night, or perhaps it was smoke from the burning buildings.

Hawke was unraveling the bandages that covered her arm letting those markings show. Her champion raiment was already drenched in blood. She flexed her fingers, letting the silence draw on before she looked ahead as the boat docked. "The question is are you?"

The courtyard was a scene of gruesome violence, apprentices and fledging mages cut down as Templers laughed over it. Hawke sprang into action cutting them down unaware as Aveline rushed forward after her. Merrill was casting blood magic, which did not seem like such of a problem with all the blood around. It was unbearable, the smells and the images. Varric pushed this to the back of his mind as he shot a few Templers down. He wasn't keeping up with Hawke today, that was for sure. He slightly wondered where Anders had gone, he was sure the mage would have followed but he guessed Hawke's words had told him to scram, if that was the case Anders had it lucky.

Hawke made her way through the courtyard like a panther, stalking her prey in a mechanically swift manner. Orsino met them at the stairs with Bethany at his side. Bethany ran down hugging her sister tightly.

"I did not think you would come, sister… I was sure you would just leave."Bethany was trembling as her sister stood rigid as a stone.

"You know I would burn down Kirkwall for you… Why on Earth would I leave you after all of this anyways?" A false smile played across Hawke's lips, a comforting touching to her sister who smiled back weakly and released her hug.

"Where is Fenris..? and… Anders?" Hawke shook her head at her sister, leaving that as the answer.

"We need to make preparations, Hawke. We cannot best them." Orsino seemed worried, perhaps fearful as he sought Hawke's advice.

"If we hold up inside they won't be able to best us. We would have the advantage, and they do not have the equipment to bring this tower down." Hawke walked past Orsino for Bethany and him to follow. "I am hoping that if we hold out they will make negotiations…"

"The time for compromise is over, Hawke. You have seen what they have done!"

Hawke stopped, shrugging at what he said. "And they have seen what you are capable of… Anders has made them fear what they already feared. We are on even ground." Varric could tell Hawke did not believe that, what was Hawke trying to do? "We will stand our ground, let them come to us. Lock the gates and get everyone inside. We will delay them."

"You are a fool, Hawke, and one of them." Orsino had stepped in front of Hawke. She wore a stoned expression as he raised his staff, rallying those about him to hear him. "She is one of them, she will have us die to them to save her own hide! The time for peace is over, Hawke. We must destroy them. I will not wait for her to kill me. Meredith expects blood magic then I will give it to her!"

Varric saw Hawke draw her blades as Orsino started to summon the corpses around him. She rushed forward plunging her blades into his heart to stop what was coming. She was blown back as her daggers made contact, sliding like a ragdoll across the floor.

It seemed they all screamed Hawke in unison as she rose back to her feet. "WHEN WILL THEY LEARN." She seemed to growl as she faced the monstrosity that was once Orsino. "They all think this is the way out, that blood magic will save them. Yes, do what they wanted you to do you weak excuse for a living being."

Merrill shot her with a wave of healing as she grabbed her swords from the ground to rush forward, Aveline by her side. Varric was peppering the beast with arrows as it turned to attack Hawke. She was too quick this time, quickly digging her blades in to dive away. Varric had forgotten how quick she was.

They all fell back drenched in blood as Templers rushed in. They were out of breath and panting but Hawke pointed one of her blades to them. "One step closer and you'll be like him…"

They froze, and Hawke laughed. She laughed at all of it and how all her work had come to fruition.