"Besrathari! Wake up!" the old Tamassran whispered and shook her arm.
"Mmmm?" replied Hawke, opening her eyes.
"Wake up. It's time to have you prepared for your mate." the woman said, staring at the claw marks on her belly and smiling. "Come, now. Today is going to be the best day yet", she chuckled.
Hawke took a moment to sit on the edge of her bed, her hands pulling slightly at her hair. "No." she thought. "I'm going to trust him and go along with this. Maybe he has a plan."
She was given a bath in which some herbs were thrown… "For fertility." came the explanation. The Tamassran helped her oil her skin and braid her hair. She was given a light purple dress which, although long, showed more than it covered.
"You're very beautiful… for a human." smiled the old woman. "Come with me. I'll take you to him."
When they got to the house, the younger kossith was still there.
"I was gathering the last of my things from my room." she excused herself and left.
"I will leave you alone. You can wait for him here or in the bedroom. Whichever you prefer." the Tamassran said and closed the door after herself.
Hawke never felt more alone in all her life. In spite her tears, she smiled at the memory of the friends she left behind, wondering how their lives were going.
"Shanedan, Besrathari!" smiled the Arishok.
She got up and ran into his arms. "Did you come to take me away? Please, take me away! I don't want another man to touch me! Not after being with you! I can't do this! I won't!" she cried and pulled at his armor's leather straps. And then she stopped, her eyes wide. This was a part of her not even she was fully aware of. The vulnerable Hawke who who was never allowed to surface. The weak, all woman, all in love Hawke, the sting in her chest, the knot in her throat, the pained, hurt and still hopeful Hawke. The one she swore she'd let him meet.
"And no one ever will. No one other than me, Kadan." he smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Then let's go! What are we still doing here? He's probably going to come home any minute!" she screamed, her eyes filled with despair. "Let him know! Let him see! Grab him, hold him, burry him in your being!" the inner Hawke was scratching the walls of her brain.
"Kadan… Calm yourself… This is MY house…" he held her squirming body tight.
"You mean…?" she stopped, looking him in the eyes, puzzled.
"Yes. You are my mate. Until the day we die." he said, gently stroking her hair.
"I love the Qun!" she shrilled, kissing his whole face, ignoring his protesting grunts. "Don't ever do that to me again, Kadan…" she said softly, a warm smile adorning her face. "Do you want to show me our bedroom? They gave me a fertility bath… and it is the demand of the Qun, you know."
"Then we shall make the most out of this opportunity" he said, picking her up like she weighted nothing.
"I knew you were going to come to me." he confessed, playing with her hair.
"What made you think that?" she asked, climbing on top of him.
"I saw your eyes. It wasn't that vashedan bas you were going to miss. It was me. I knew it, then and there, that it wasn't the last I would see of you." he said, pulling her towards him and kissing her.
"What became of her? Do you know?" Hawke asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"She escaped us. She's somewhere in Rivain, I suppose." he replied.
"Are you going to hunt her down?"
"Right now, I have more important things to do." he smirked and rolled on top of her.
Not even two months have passed and Hawke found herself with child. Her first. His first.
She gave birth to a little boy, quite big for being half human, tiny, soft horns sprouting from his forehead.
"He's strong." the Arishok boasted. "He will turn into a great warrior." he said, his pride more than obvious. "Atash varin kata, Kadan!" he smiled and kissed his mate.