Isabela kept prying all the way to the estate. Jennifer kept refusing to tell her. When they arrived, Hawke was talking with Bodahn and Jennifer excused herself to the garden, Leandra was there in a simple dress and apron and a bucket next to her, when she heard Jennifer approaching, she looked up and smiled and Jennifer couldn't help smiling in return. "Come here would you, dear?"
Jennifer complied, sitting only a few spaces away, Leandra set the bucket between them and she dropped a mangled weed inside. Jennifer began pulling weeds from the next plotter. "I can't wait for this. All colors and scents and sounds. It's like freedom and… peace." She looked at her hands as they worked diligently in the plotter separating soil from root and cooing over the occasional earthworm.
Leandra looked over at this child that had wiggled her way into all their hearts and possibly more and smiled softly. "You know my husband loved to work with plants, was quite the alchemist, like your friend. You know I think he would have liked you. You are so much like him, without the occasional hopeless joke." She chuckled to herself.
"Oh, I don't know. I've been known to take a good situation and make it awkward with a misplaced joke." She giggled as she tossed the weed and aiming for the bucket but missing and pouting.
Leandra smiled reaching for the wayward weed and dropping it into the bucket. "I can see why he likes you."
"Who?" Jennifer asked, curiously wondering if she had heard the conversation between Jennifer and Anders some nights before.
"That elf, Fenris. You have this uncanny ability to bring a smile to anyone, I suppose what he's been through, he needs some happiness in his life." When she looked back towards Jennifer, she saw tears streaming down her face falling to the soil below. "Oh, darling! What is it? What happened?" Leandra stood, hiking her skirt and coming to sit next to Jennifer.
"He left me. Fenris stayed the other night and then left, just like Aaron." Jennifer sobbed as quietly as she could manage into Leandra's shoulder as the woman petted her hair. They sat there for a spell, Leandra continued to soothe and stroke then when Jennifer lifted her head it was shortly after dusk. She gave Leandra a tight hug, which the woman returned, and stood. "I suppose I should be getting ready for dinner." Jennifer smiled wearily and turned towards the kitchen.
-ooo-
Several days had passed, and everyone was beginning to notice the change in Jennifer, the way her smile never quite reached her eyes, the way she didn't go out to visit on her own, the way she would stay back from the group when doing the odd jobs Hawke seemed to pick up along the way. They tried to ask her if everything was alright, but she forced a smile and waved it away.
Everyone was also beginning to notice that it got worse when Fenris was around. Something had happened, when they asked Jennifer, she played dumb. When they asked Fenris, he would snap and snarl like his namesake before storming off. Hawke gazed upon his friend, the girl that was as dear to him as his own sister and frowned. That evening, Varric had come by to help Hawke manage the accounts of the estate, Varric was much better with numbers than Hawke could ever hope to be. When he heard a door open and feet bounding down the hall, Hawke stood quickly and bounded up the stairs. "Jennifer?"
He heard noise from the end of the hall and walked closer. As he neared the privy he heard wretching, he sighed watching as Varric stepped into the hallway. They moved towards the end of the hallway when Jennifer opened the door she quickly looked at her feet and made her way towards her room shutting the door and locking it. When Varric started to leave later in the night, he turned and looked at Hawke. "So what should we do about, Smiles?"
"I don't know. I really don't." He commented, Varric only shook his head and left the estate. Hawke trudged slowly up to his room where he fell into his bed. He really didn't know what to do, but he knew someone who did. He had received a letter from Bethany a few days back, she had made it through her joining and was now stationed in Fereldan of all places. It was good to hear from her, even if only through letters, so he moved towards the desk, sitting in the red stained wooden chair and began to write. He wrote about Mother, and about their friends. He wrote about the Amell's and Hawke's finally being a name in Kirkwall, and then he wrote about Jennifer, and everything that had happened as of late, asking for advice on what he should. Then, and regretfully, he asked if he should be worried about an untrained mage being so emotionally unstable.
He hoped he would and would not receive and answering letter. For once he was truly afraid of what the answer might be.
-ooo-
Fenris sat within his mansion, he had fallen asleep in his chair again a reoccurring situation when he drank himself to sleep. He placed the bottle down and moved to the main room of the manor, stretching his stiff muscles and practicing his swordplay. Weaving and bobbing, and thrusting along while his feet spun, and slid along the tiled surface of the floor. It had been two months since that night, and to his delight and dismay it became easier and easier to forget her touch. At the same time; however, it also became easier to forget her smile. Her laugh. Her shining green eyes. When he last saw her, the green depths of her eyes were dull and hollow. She smiled, sure, but it was empty and mirthless.
He was beginning to wonder if he had made a terrible mistake. He shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts. She was a strong willed woman after all, she would get over it, these things just took time. He scratched the back of his head frustrated. "She should hate me! Not feel upset or hurt. She must hate me. It's the only way."
"You know, talking to yourself is the mark of a madman." Hawke smirked.
Fenris spun on the balls of his feet looking at the warrior clad in armor leaning casually against the frame of the entryway to the main room. Fenris frowned. "What is it, Hawke?" He dusted his hands and rotated his shoulders and neck.
"I have a job I need you for."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Fenris asked turning away.
"Sebastian needs our help with something at the Harriman's Estate. They had something to do with the Flint Company." Hawke turned and called back, "I'll meet you at the Chantry. He'll be waiting there."
He was waiting there, as well as Hawke and Jennifer. Fenris cursed Hawke silently as she made his way up the steps with the two of them. Sebastian was talking to Elthina. "I thought it would end here. Hawke decimated Flint Company, no survivors." Jennifer glared at Hawke and he only grinned innocently. "Yet, now that I know who sent them. It's harder to see their deaths as justice." Sebastian sighed heavily.
"Death… is never justice." And Jennifer pointed to Elthina as if making a point. Hawke only rolled his eyes as they continued on.
"I-" When he noticed the three of them approaching he turned. "Hawke, you came. We were just talking about you."
"Carry on then! I love to eavesdrop." Jennifer snickered at his side while hitting his shoulder.
"I've learned who hired Flint Company. The Harriman's a noble family of Kirkwall. They were my parents allies, it's hard to believe they would betray my parents like this." Jennifer smiled sympathetically at him, which he returned.
"Is there any peaceful way to resolve this?" Jennifer asked.
Elthina smiled at Jennifer before turning to Sebastian, "If you treat the Harriman's like those mercenaries, you could start a war. Go carefully, Sebastian."
Sebastian nodded before turning back to Hawke. "I must speak with Lady Harriman and find out what drove her to this… madness. But I am the last of my line. I should not go alone and make myself a target."
"If I'm standing beside you, that should make her think twice." Hawke proclaimed patting Sebastian on the back.
"Again, your interest in my plight humbles me. Shall we go then?" When everyone agreed they made their way towards the Harriman estate. Fenris constantly caught himself drifting his sight towards Jennifer, watching as she walked and as she carried a conversation with Sebastian. His mind reeled when he found himself wanting to punch the Chantry brother when nudged Jennifer with his elbow.
He cursed himself inwardly at the situation and again cursed Hawke for bringing him, but cursed himself more for reasons he didn't know why.
AN: Hokay, so… I made a little oopsie. I think in some of the previous chapters I called the family that hired the Flint Company: Harrowmont. BIG OOPSIE. Harrowmont is the freaking right hand of King Aeducan in DAO…. I don't know how I managed to botch that one, but I did so now I'm fixing it and I hope all the fanatics can forgive. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!
Signed;
Your loving Fanfic slave.