"You surprise me Hawke," Fenris said as they walked through Lowtown towards the alienage.

Hawke turned to look at the warrior. "Why is that exactly? Did you expect me to start slitting my wrists and raise a few corpses to play with?"

Fenris sustained a low growl in his throat before he continued. "I assumed when you accepted that job from your former employer, you would have done whatever it was she requested of you," Fenris responded.

"Ah," Hawke realized what he was getting at. "You didn't think I'd lie to her."

"Not as easily as you did...no," he admitted.

Hawke wasn't certain if Fenris was complimenting her on her resolution of the job or if he was concerned about how the false report rolled off her tongue. "Regardless of what you think of me Fenris, I am not cruel. I could never have let that boy return to her service. Not in good conscience."

Fenris kept his gaze ahead of them when he answered her. "I would not presume to know what you think of me Hawke," he stated. "I'd expect the same courtesy in return."

She opened her mouth to reply but then thought better of it. He was right, she shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that he automatically hated her for being a mage. Fenris had remained at her side for several months now, and Hawke was suddenly very embarrassed for the way the conversation had gone. "I'm sorry Fenris," she said quietly.

He groaned under his breath when they approached Merrill's residence. "Stop bringing me to the alienage Hawke, and all is forgiven."

She had to; she couldn't resist. "All is forgiven? Even me being a mage?"

They stopped in front of Merrill's door, and Fenris offered her a rare smirk. "Almost all," he corrected himself.

Dearest Father,

I never thought I would hear someone say that muggings are fascinating, but there you have it. That's Merrill in a nutshell. She thinks the other elves in the alienage don't like her because she hasn't been mugged yet. Oh Father, what am I going to do with her? Her innocence, how naive she is, it concerns me that she's dabbled in blood magic. How does she expect me to have any confidence in her fighting off demons when she says some of the things she does?

She wants to know why someone can't heal the Wounded Coast. She thinks a brothel is a place to buy broth. She said the demon she asked for help was "very nice about it!" Beards look like squirrels. Cats can be knighted. All pirates have peg legs. And everything Isabela says is dirty. Well, okay that part is true. But you understand what I'm saying right?

I'm close to having enough coin to join the Expedition! A little annoyed though that I wasted an entire day helping Athenril. Okay, I didn't waste it because it had a good outcome, but I didn't make any money out of the deal. She asked me to look into some missing men and cargo. Carver didn't want to come along, he wasn't happy I was doing anything more for Athenril. But she was a decent boss for a year and got us all into the city; I try to remember that if it wasn't for her job offer, I don't know where we'd be now.

I found her missing cargo as well as her latest employee. Oh Father he was only a boy of fifteen! So tough and brave, but the similarity to Carver broke my heart. His name is Pryce, a fellow Ferelden refugee like us. He lost his mother to an ogre and his father to darkspawn. He's been caring for his two younger sisters by working for Athenril. I knew the cargo was valuable, so I let him take it to get a fresh start elsewhere. Kirkwall is no place for him, and neither is working for smugglers.

Luckily I convinced Athenril that the cargo was gone. She's used to employees coming and going, so she didn't question why Pryce hadn't returned with us. I hope I've given him a chance at a new life, him and his family. Maker willing.

I may have made some progress with Fenris today! After sticking my foot in my mouth as usual. I almost got a smile...it was a little itsy turn up of the left side of his mouth, but it was there I swear it! After the night I visited him and he attacked me about not caring about Bethany, and then the grueling discussion we had about the Gallows, I really didn't think he and I would ever get along. Yet he's still there when I need him, so I'm taking that as a good sign. I doubt I will ever have his complete trust, but maybe I can earn his respect.