Dearest Father,

It's been some time since I talked to you about Aveline. She's been so busy in her new position as Captain that she rarely joins us on any of our missions. Besides the other day when she started off helping with the Qunari, she's been swamped with paperwork and jumping through hoops for the Seneschal. It was nice to catch up with her again this morning, even if she accused me of being the cause of some of her problems.

She claims the fortune I brought back from the Deep Roads has caused some issues in Hightown. I suppose it could be true, a former noble returning to status. Also considering the amount of donating most of us have been doing, I see her point. Though she says it's mostly because of the anti-Ferelden folk in the city seeing one of us succeed, now there's panic in the streets. Personally I think she's reaching there a bit.

Knowing Aveline as I do, she loves her job and wouldn't change it for the world. The guards respect her and appreciate her efforts in making their jobs easier and safer. She's great at what she does, and I feel guilty that maybe I have added to her headaches. I never bothered to think of how many times she or her guards have been left to cover up something for me... we do have a bad habit of leaving corpses lying all over Kirkwall sometimes.

So when she asked me for a favor, which is very rare for her, I jumped at the opportunity. I was a bit confused at first when she wanted me to hand something to Donnic, a guard we had rescued a few years ago. He was only in the next room, but she insisted I do this and report back his reaction.

Donnic and I chatted a bit about Gamlen and the ambush, and then I handed him the copper relief of marigolds. He seemed as confused as I was, to which Aveline was not happy. Next she had me posting the duty roster, and again Donnic was confused and even a little upset by the action. It took me a while to figure out exactly what Aveline was trying to do. Maker Father, if she would've just told me from the beginning she had feelings for the man, I could've stopped her from making a fool out of herself.

I didn't realize Aveline had been alone since Wesley. This surprised me, though I don't know why. I have been alone too since... well, you know. This just gave me the motivation to help her. She was clearly struggling, and it broke my heart. Here she was finally ready to move on and she was frozen with fear. The fact that she is his boss doesn't make it any easier.

I suggested Aveline meet with Donnic in some neutral setting outside of the barracks. Arranged for him to meet me at the Hanged Man where she could join us. After a very painful hour of silence between Donnic and I, who ended up thinking I was interested in him instead of Aveline, we came up with a better plan.

Maker I hope this works out for her.

"Hawke, I was just coming to speak with you," Sebastian said when he found her exiting the mansion.

"Can you talk and walk at the same time?" she asked. "I promised Aveline I'd help her with something. In fact I could probably use your help."

Sebastian noticed she was geared for battle, but none of her other companions were with her. "Are you in some kind of trouble Hawke?"

She shook her head. "No, but I may run into some. If you're up for it, I'm headed to the Wounded Coast for some reconnaissance."

"You thought to do this alone?" Sebastian asked, disbelief clear in his tone. "Any place outside the city is not safe. Have you no one else to assist you?"

Hawke began walking in the direction of the city gates. "You don't have to come," she said over her shoulder as he followed. "Out of respect for Aveline's privacy I was going to do this on my own, but I'm sure she'd trust you to keep a secret if you wish to join me."

"Aye, I'd never forgive myself should something happen to you," Sebastian admitted.

Hawke ignored his last comment and remained silent as they exited the city and headed towards the coast. She was still upset with him for agreeing with Cullen that Alrik wasn't entirely wrong in his thinking to make it easier for mages to become tranquil. He knew what she was, and here he was again concerned about something happening to her? What did he care?

The silence didn't last long as they were attacked by a pack of wild mabari once they reached the coast. Hawke cast a shield around herself as the dogs came at her, and she froze them in place before backing up a few steps. Sebastian released his arrows on the animals, and with Hawke's assistance of a few spells they took out the dogs with ease. "You meant to do this yourself?" he asked again, slowing his breathing to balance the adrenaline rush.

"I needed a good fight," Hawke responded, dragging one of the corpses into a bush. "Let's me work things out in my head. Help me?"

Sebastian assisted her in moving the bodies off the road and then watched her release a flame spell on a large pole. She took his hand and pulled him behind the thick brush, gesturing with a finger to her lips for him to be quiet. They waited and watched in silence as Aveline approached with one of her guardsmen. Sebastian gave Hawke a questioning look but she just smiled and nodded in their direction, encouraging him to listen.

Hawke brought both her hands to her mouth in an attempt to thwart off the urge to giggle at her friends attempt at pickup lines. "It's a real nice night for an evening," Aveline had said to Donnic, causing even Sebastian to raise a brow.

Once they were out of ear shot, Hawke stood. "Maker, she's bad at this."

Sebastian brushed off some of the dirt from his armor. "I imagine there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for what's going on?"

Hawke nodded. "Yup, but no time to explain now. Come on, through this shortcut!"

They continued this way for a while, battling anyone and anything that got in their way. Some battles were harder than others, and Hawke felt bad after the first time she'd had to heal Sebastian. She didn't mean for him to get injured on this excursion, but to her surprise he didn't mind. "This is much more exciting than the Chantry!" Sebastian had exclaimed during a hectic moment being surrounded by raiders. She couldn't help but smile at that, and at seeing how much fun he was truly having. She suddenly wondered why he'd want to spend all his time serving the Maker when it was clear he had skills beyond the Chantry walls?

After watching Aveline fail yet again at her attempts to casually speak with Donnic, something about blades, Sebastian finally realized what was happening. "Is she trying to court him?"

Hawke laughed. "Figured it out did you? Not successfully apparently. Only one more signal left to clear up to. If she doesn't work it out by then, I may have to take matters into my own hands."

Sebastian shook his head. "Why doesn't she just tell him the truth? Would be easier than this."

"Painful, isn't it." Hawke helped him retrieve a few of his arrows. "Aveline's just nervous. She hasn't cared for anyone since her husband died. Admitting to yourself that you've moved on after a love like that is scary enough. Now try to start something new? It can be terrifying."

"You sound as if you have experience in this," Sebastian questioned, and then immediately regretted doing so. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry it's just... "

"I do," Hawke admitted to him as they began to walk down the path again. "I was engaged once, back in Lothering."

His curiosity got the better of him. "But you didn't marry," he said more as a statement than a question, for some reason hoping it was true.

She inhaled deeply and released the breath slowly before responding. "No. Jeremy was killed before we had the opportunity to wed." Seeing no harm in telling him the complete story now, Hawke continued. "He and his entire family were murdered by a Qunari. Explains the extreme dislike I have for them I guess."

"You have my condolences Hawke," Sebastian offered. "I'm sorry I didn't know."

Hawke shrugged. "How would you have known?" She quickly pulled him behind a large boulder. He was startled when he recovered his balance to discover his face was mere inches from hers. "Shhh," she whispered with a grin as Aveline and Donnic approached.

Being in such close proximity to her, watching her tongue sweep her lips, Sebastian struggled to resist the sudden urge to kiss her. Seeing the brief flicker of sadness in her eyes when she spoke of her lost fiance, and still regretting what had happened between them when last they spoke, these thoughts he had of her were inappropriate, and he inwardly scolded himself. But the wind carried the scent of her and it consumed him. Without realizing he was doing so, Sebastian leaned in closer, wetting his own lips in anticipation of tasting hers.

He nearly got a mouthful of her robes when Hawke suddenly stood, oblivious to his actions, and confronted both Aveline and Donnic as they approached. "Hawke?" Aveline said her name with surprise. "What a surprise! What are you doing here?"

Hawke could no longer sit idly by and watch her friend make a fool out of herself. "Aveline," she replied with a scolding tone.

"Hawke, don't," Aveline begged, though she knew the look in Hawke's eyes.

But she did. When Donnic questioned what was going on between the two of them, Hawke informed him of Aveline's desire for him. Donnic excused himself, clearly a bit embarrased. Aveline didn't take it well either, accusing Hawke of not being her friend and panicking over what Donnic was going to do with this new information. She ordered Hawke and Sebastian to return to Kirkwall with her, and demanded Hawke speak with Donnic to fix this mess.

Donnic wasn't nearly as upset with her as Aveline believed. When we returned to the barracks he was waiting for her, and insisted on a private moment alone. What followed next were a series of giggles and moans from her office, so Sebastian and I left the two of them alone.

On the way back to the Chantry, Sebastian finally spoke to me about what he had come to talk about when he showed up at my door. He apologized for the things he said last time we talked. He admitted that sometimes his judgment is clouded by the teachings of the Chantry and by Elthina. That provided me with the opportunity to get him to question his faith.

I asked him this: should I die tomorrow, would you deny me a place beside the Maker simply because I am a mage? I believe in Him, I respect Him, and I pray to Him, but your Chantry would say that I am to find no rest in this world or beyond. If I am denied any chance at happiness in this life or the next, why wouldn't I turn to blood magic to survive? Why wouldn't I resist being made tranquil with every possible tool at my disposal? I have nothing to lose according to the words you as a Brother preach and support.

I don't know if I pushed it too far Father, but I'm trying to make him see that not everything the Chantry stands for is equal and just. Having never truly associated with a mage I don't think he bothered to even try and see things from our perspective. He had no answer for what I said, so I know I at least have him thinking about it. I can almost picture him in his room at the Chantry going over his books trying to find an argument against what I've said.

You know me Father, I'll be ready for the challenge when he is. Too bad Sebastian is going to lose. Silly Chantry boy.