Freedom Among Slaves: A Mage's beginning
Chapter Four: Approval
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age, Bioware or EA.
Author's Note: I always figured that since she knows Flemeth that Marethari would know shapeshifting, which is why it appears here.
Under Justice's tutelage Hawke learned how to use spirit healing. During the day Keeper Marethari taught her how to shapeshift. Hawke was an able shapeshifter, but a mediocre spirit healer. Hawke also found she had a knack for the Entropy and Primal schools of magic. As Hawke's confidence grew, the Keeper had Hawke spar with Merril using their staves.
Soon the training had removed any traces of puppy fat from Hawke's frame and replaced it with a thin, wiry layer of muscle. Tamlen and Mahariel volunteered to teach both girls how to fight weaponless, to which Merril and Hawke agreed.
The news that they were to leave and head for Ferelden came during one of those training sessions.
Hawke circled Mahariel, waiting for her opponent to strike first. A fist came, blindingly fast. Hawke swiped an arm in a quarter circle, deflecting the blow, then dealt Mahariel a foot to the knee and a palm to the shoulder. Mahariel stepped back, before her leg came up and struck Hawke's side.
As the two traded more blows, Hawke saw Merril and Tamlen approaching through the corner of her eye.
Her brief split-second of distraction gave Mahariel a large enough opening to throw Hawke to the ground.
"Merril, Tamlen, you both owe me!" Hawke groaned, one of Mahariel's feet firmly planted on her collar.
"Sorry lethallan!" Merril squeaked.
"Hmph. You allowed yourself to be distracted." Tamlen's quiet voice asserted.
Mahariel stood back, helping Hawke up.
"Don't be too harsh on her, lethallin, she did hold her own for quite a while."
"Ma lath," Tamlen began, "you're too soft on shems."He embraced Mahariel.
"When will you learn to hate them properly?" he lightly scoffed, resting his cheek on her hair.
Merril, beside Hawke, mimed puking violently. Hawke giggled. Mahariel, over Tamlen's shoulder, stuck her tongue out at them.
Merril's mouth shaped a surprised O as she remembered something.
"Oh! Tamlen can I tell them? Can I? Can I? Can I?"
Tamlen sighed, "Yes, Merril, you can tell them."
His face contorted in alarm as soon as the words left his mouth.
"Just not that particular piece of news!" Tamlen amended himself.
"Oh…Ok…" Merril wilted, "The clan is headed to Ferelden next. We're leaving tomorrow."
Tamlen whispered something into Mahariel's ear. She answered in the affirmative. Tamlen literally jumped for joy.
"She said yes!" he crowed.
"Tamlen asked the elders if they approved of their match," Merril explained, "Come on, let's make sure nothing in our aravel is going to fall over. We can celebrate tonight."
After the entire clan had thoroughly celebrated Tamlen and Mahariels' news Hawke fell, exhausted into a deep sleep. As always Justice greeted her in the Fade.
After several minutes of what felt to Hawke like an awkward silence she enquired about her lessons.
"You have learned all I can teach you," Justice stated.
Hawke shifted her weight from one foot to another. What did one discuss with a Fade spirit?
"Tell me about your day," Justice prompted.
Hawke recounted the events of the day. Justice held up a hand to stop her when she explained that the clan was moving to Ferelden.
"The Keeper as an acquaintance in Ferelden, you say," Hawke nodded. "Be very, very careful. This acquaintance does not seem, well…don't trust people you don't know. It sounds…suspicious at best."
"You suspect the Keeper of ulterior motives."
"…Yes."
Justice seemed to have trouble finding the words he wanted to say for a moment.
"Do not die, Hawke. I would have to avenge you. You are one of two mortals I have ever known and…I enjoy our conversations."
Hawke simply nodded, unsure of what to say.
Author's note: I didn't expect to be able to post anything today, due to a history essay that's due tomorrow. I also didn't realize that this chapter was so short. I just end the chapters where it feels natural and this was where I felt this one should end. I will probably be able to post two tomorrow, if I start typing when I get home, to make up for the shortness of this one. After that I shall have to pace my additions, because I will get dangerously close to where I am in the handwritten version. I have the ending already planned out, so I will be finishing this. I also have a sequel or two planned, fingers crossed. Thanks for reading!