A/N: Not much of a Hawke POV, I know, but I'm just getting started. You guys just wait and see what I have in store for you. -Evil laugh- But, before that, there's more fun to be had. Another big thank you to my friend DragonReckoning for the enthusiasm and barrage of ideas!

"Garrett! What's going on?" Mina asked, a little surprised he was there. She figured he'd be stomping about the city like he did, saving everyone in sight. Maker knew no one could solve their own problems. The dark haired man smiled softly and grabbed her hand, much to her delight.

"Oh, you know. Causing more harm than good. Champion stuff. You about to go see Ceras?" he asked casually. She knew he wanted to go with her by the way he asked. Of course, she wouldn't let him. It was a... family thing. It was something that she needed to do alone. She also sensed that he knew something she didn't by the way his smile turned devious when he said Ceras' name.

"I am. And you're not allowed to go with me."

"Why not?! I'll be good. Well... relatively good. For me."

Mina snorted and started walking down the hall, Hawke right beside her the whole way. She stopped by Varric's room to show herself, just so he knew she was no longer 'missing'. He nodded at her and kept reading something stamped with the Merchant's Guild seal. Mina and Garrett made it outside before she decided to answer her lover's question.

"I'll be aggravated enough as it is. You'll make it worse by trying to calm me down. Some things I need to do on my own, and this is one of them. I know you mean well, but I'd rather not have you there," she said as sweetly as she could. She didn't want to hurt the big baby's feelings.

Instead of getting offended he flashed her a smile and said, "Oh, I get it. I distract you."

Mina smacked his shoulder lightly and glared at him. It was partially true. She often found herself caught off guard at how good looking he was. There were some moments where he'd smile a certain way or the light would hit his eyes just right and she found herself breathless. It seemed impossible that any man could be as alluring as he was. He was a rotten scoundrel for sure, but that's what made him more fun. As much as Mina denied it, she loved how much he teased her and how playful he was.

"I'm leaving now. Try not to get too distracted by my arse, you fool," she snipped back. He laughed and waggled his eyebrows. He was a fool indeed.

Hawke watched her leave, disappointed he didn't get to go with her. He'd find some kind of mess to get into while she was busy though. If there was one thing he was good at, it was always finding himself some trouble to get into. To his left, he heard a drunkard make a crude comment about Mina.

"Serah, I'd watch your mouth if I were you. You see, Mina's a dangerous one. Plus, she's mine," he growled, narrowing his eyes at the balding brunette man stumbling towards him.

"Aye, she might be dangerous, but I'd still like to tear that sweet-"

"You're a dumbass, mate. And now you're an ugly dumbass," he snarled before he threw a punch. It connected with the man's flabby gut. Garrett caught him off guard. The man was so drunk that he fell over, but not before Hawke gave him a knee to the face. The man apparently had a few friends sitting about; drunk, but pissed and ready for a brawl. The Champion adeptly out maneuvered the intoxicated men and put all three of them on the ground without much of an effort. They sat in the street groaning and cursing.

"Hah! You lot look better down there. Too bad you're terrible fighters and dim-witted. Here, I was hoping to have a bit of a challenge!" he teased. He was feeling triumphant for only a moment though.

A messenger interrupted his bit of fun, "Serah Hawke, I have a message from Knight-Captain Cullen. It seems the Grand Enchanter and The Knight-Commander are at it again. He requests that you come to the gallows and try to diffuse the situation. The Grand Cleric is not available at this time, else he would've asked her."

Hawke grumbled and nodded. He'd get Varric, Fenris, and Isabela for this one. Even if Fenris was pretty one-sided. Orsino was easier to appease than Meredith, and he was hoping that Fenris could talk to the ill-tempered woman and calm her down. If all else failed, Varric could charm or sweet talk himself out of anything. It was more bullshit than actual talking, but that was the easiest way to deal with people in the shithole of a city he called home.

Mina sighed for the hundredth time that night. It turned out that Ceras had been freeing slaves and taking them in as servants. She lived with her adopted family in that estate and her 'stepmother' was the one who was paying the people who worked for them. Mina felt awful for what she said and did. Something went weird with the guy she killed, obviously, but Ceras wouldn't say what. Mina was determined to find out. That would have to wait though.

At present, they were to leave that night for clan Lavellan. All three of them. Mina wasn't pleased, but she wasn't as bothered by Ceras tagging along as she was before. Thalion was very surprised by Ceras' sudden gesture of peace towards him. They were still awkward around each other, but Mina felt that if they spent enough time together and talked things out, it wouldn't be as bad. The scars would never fully heal, but Ceras wouldn't hate Thalion. Eventually. They'd talked for a few hours about what happened with Ceras while she was away and about what was going on with Thalion's clan. Mina told them that she was a mage. Thalion wasn't all that shocked, which rose Mina's suspicions a little. But she let it go for the time being.

She also told them she couldn't exactly tell them all that she was doing for Varric while she was there. It was more than just fighting off a few humans that were bothering the clan. She was gathering information in the town not far from where they were camping. She'd heard that they were going to stay for a while longer before they moved on. She wasn't exactly sure how long, but she figured it'd be enough time for her to get whatever she needed. After that, she wasn't sure if she'd stay with the clan much longer or if she'd go back to Kirkwall right away. Either way, she'd end up back with her friends and Garrett. They were her home. it wasn't the city or where her stuff was. It'd never been like that for her as far back as she could remember. It was where the people she cared about were.

She stopped by the barracks first to say goodbye to Aveline. The redhead was surprised, but gave Mina a warm hug and wished her well. She said she'd write if she got a spare moment. Mina laughed at that. She didn't count on it. The captain was always drowning in work. Next was Merrill, who cried and gave Mina a little wooden bracelet with Halla carved into it.

"We missed your birthday, so I thought I'd make you something. I'm not so good at crafting, but I hope you like it anyway," she said sheepishly.

Mina put it on and smiled, "Thank you, Merrill. It's wonderful. Halla bring good fortune, so you may have just saved me from a lot of trouble."

Merrill went with her to the Hanged Man, where they figured everyone else was like usual. And they were right.

'Everyone except Anders,' Mina thought with a hint of malice. She still cared about the nug-brained man, but mostly she wanted to kill him. She'd fought with her feelings about him for the past month, and they finally settled on anger. She decided that she was going to kill him.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she said her goodbyes to everyone, saving Garrett for last. She could tell he was stressed about something. He was eyeing a full mug of ale, and sitting away from everyone. She plopped down beside him and kissed his cheek.

"What's up, grumpy pants?" she asked light heartedly.

He glanced up at her and made a 'today just sucks' face. Mina started running her fingers through his thick black hair.

"Meredith and Orsino are getting worse," he muttered darkly, "And now you're leaving me."

Mina's face fell and her heart about stopped, "I'm not leaving you. I'm just going to do something for Varric. I'll come back to you, I promise."

She held out her pinky and smiled at him. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"What are you doing with your pinky?" he asked.

"It's called a pinky promise. You hook your pinky with mine, and we shake them like a handshake. But, it's more than that. It's something people do when they're serious about a promise. But, you only do it with people that mean a lot to you. I've... only done it once. With my mom," she explained. She didn't remember the promise she'd made with her mom, but she knew she'd done it. It was just the faintest thing, and it seemed that it should be something she'd remember.

Hawke nodded and hooked his pinky with hers.

"I promise to always come back too," he said with a deadly seriousness that Mina had never seen before. She kissed his nose and hopped up.

"Alright. Well, I have to pack my things. You can come keep me company if you want. Thalion wants to leave tonight. We've put it off long enough," she said as she walked stiffly to her room. Hawke saw how she gripped one of her sides and picked her up. She squeaked in protest, but he refused to put her down.

"You're still not back to normal. That injury did a number on you, Mina. Take care of your self, ok? I want you in one piece."

Mina stuck her tongue out at him. He was right that she was still a bit stiff and not back to 100 percent just yet, but she knew that by the time they got to the clan she'd be fine.

They stood just outside Kirkwall by the stables, Hawke holding Mina's hands in his. She'd convinced Thalion to go get the horses ready without her. She wouldn't have been much help anyway. She couldn't even lift her bags, which was the reason he'd allowed Hawke to come. They had a little time to kill, since they were waiting on Ceras.

She gazed at the man she so cared for. His eyes were big and sad, but still that beautiful blue that made her want to look into them forever. She hugged him and stood on her tip toes so her face was close to his.

"Don't miss me too much. And don't destroy our city while I'm gone. I'll punch you if the Hanged Man gets wrecked," she teased him.

He smiled back at her and quipped right back, "No promises. You know how I get when I'm angry. Meredith and Orsino just might drive me there."

Mina kissed him lightly, "They'd better not. They haven't seen me angry yet!"

He smiled and kissed her. This time their kiss was much deeper. It left her breathless and wanting more of him. It took everything she had to pull away from him.

"Come back to me safe, cutie," he said. She nodded and jogged into the stables where her father was waiting.

In the fading light, she saw her Champion walk back into their city and get lost in the myriad of streets and people finishing up their daily routines. She smiled sadly at him. More adventures awaited her outside of Kirkwall, and she wouldn't have this one wait any longer.

Only a few moments later, Ceras walked out of the gates, horse reins in one hand and Keter trailing behind her. She smiled at them and eyed the gentle beast she was going to be spending the next couple weeks riding. She felt a little nervous.

"I've got one problem," she admitted to her father and sister, "I've never ridden a horse..."

Thalion chuckled and patted the saddle, "Not to worry. We'll teach you on the way. Now, let us be off."

It was a two week ride to Ostwick and only a few hours after that to where their clan wandered through the forests. The first week went by rather quickly. Mina had started missing Kirkwall and Hawke, but kept her feelings at bay by helping her dad and Ceras fend off bandits and wildlife. They'd been attacked by wolves more than anything, and she'd been happy to loose a few arrows to scare them away. Thalion and Ceras refused to let Mina do much fighting because of her damned injury. It wasn't like it hurt her anymore, it was just stiff. The more days that went by, the more and more bored she got. The countryside of the Free Marches was beautiful, but Mina wanted to be included in something besides cooking and setting up camp. She missed fighting.

It was their tenth day on the road when a raven flew to Thalion's shoulder. Mina recognized it as one of Varric's. She didn't know where he kept them or how they knew where to find his people, but she'd seen them many of times during her solo work. She trotted her horse up beside Thalion. He handed her the letter after he finished reading it.

"You should read this. It would not be... appropriate for me to just tell you about it," he said calmly. His eyes darted to Ceras who frowned.

She could tell that something was wrong by the look on his face. He was faking the calm tone in his voice. His eyes betrayed him. She unrolled the paper and read furiously. Varric seemed to have written in a hurry, but he told her everything she needed to know.

Kitten,

I know you're safe with Thalion, but I need you to stay hidden

and make sure you steer clear of those mages and any Templars.

Shit just blew up in Kirkwall. Literally. Anders finally lost it and completely

blew up the Chantry. The Grand Cleric was in there as were a lot of other

people. I'm not sure what's going to happen now. Hawke's safe, so don't worry.

The rest of us are fine too. We tried to save the mages, but most of them

ended up resorting to Blood Magic. Meredith went completely crazy. Turns out she

had that red lyrium idol I told you about. Did you ever find any more of it? Ah, doesn't

matter now. Just stay safe. And tell Ceras her mother is safe. I had someone check on her.

There's talk of a mage rebellion in the few mages left.

I'll keep you updated on what I find out. If you find anything out, let me know.

Until then, stay with your clan. I'll let you know what happened with Anders later.

Your Brother,

Varric Tethras

Mina shoved the letter into her saddle bag and turned her horse around. She needed to get back to Kirkwall. She needed to help fix things and make sure everyone was fine. She prayed to all the gods she could think of that Bethany was fine and that she hadn't been swept up in the storm of Blood Magic. Thalion took the reins out of her hands and looked at her with a frown.

"He told you to stay with the clan, Mina. You know well enough that you won't be safe if you go back," he said gently.

Mina scoffed, "No one there is safe! Varric told me about red lyrium! Plus, if Anders really did blow the Chantry up, who knows what'll happen? We should at least go get Bethany!" she argued.

Ceras' eyes widened with horror. "Wait, what?! What happened?!" she demanded. Mina growled and impatiently explained what had happened to Ceras, all the while her mind was racing.

She knew it'd be best for her to stay with them, but the bigger part of her wanted to go back. It was the brave part of her that wanted to protect those she cared about. But, she knew Thalion wouldn't let her no matter how much she argued. Ceras might help her, but then again, she might agree with Thalion and say they should take the safer route. She sighed, defeated, and took the reigns back from him. She'd learned how to ride fairly well, mainly thanks to Ceras, but she was no match for her father on a horse. If she ran, he'd catch up and make her go with him. It didn't stop her from thinking about it; or thinking about the people she left behind.

Things just kept getting more and more complicated. She ended up writing Varric back that night and telling him that she would stand by if he needed her. She was loath to just leave them, but she understood and would do as he said. She asked about Bethany and told him that she hadn't found any trace of the red stuff anywhere. No one had heard of it or seen it. She waited until the middle of the next day before she sent the bird on its way. It wouldn't do to have an exhausted messenger.

The last few days dragged by unbelievably slow. Mina didn't feel like talking much, and found herself thinking of the worst things that could possibly happen. More and more, she found herself thinking of Garrett. She wondered what he'd do now; if he was okay; and what would happen to him since he'd tried to help the mages. She also found her mind wandering back to Anders. Was he the one really responsible for blowing up the Chantry and killing all those people? Why did he have to start a fight that would probably lead into a fucking war?! Where was he now? At night she dreamt of Fen'Harel and asked for his counsel. He didn't know much about Kirkwall or what had happened, but he offered her good advice and told her to drink tea if she worried too much. She ended up being withdrawn for the rest of their journey. Ceras tried to talk to her, but she replied with mostly one word answers, so her sister finally gave up.

She was lost in her thoughts well until they reached the cover of the trees her father called home. He stirred her from her morbid state of mind.

"We're almost to the clan, da'len. I apologize if a few seem... hostile. Not everyone trusts me," he told his daughters, "I have not told you, but I am a mage. I am not the Keeper, nor am I the First. I teach the children how to hunt."

Mina looked at him with her head tilted, "You're a mage? Huh. You haven't used magic since I've been with you, but that explains why you didn't react much when I told you I was a mage."

Ceras huffed and rolled her eyes, "Big surprise that not everyone trusts you! It's not like you've done anything that bad. Oh, wait. And of course you're a mage. One more to add to the reasons I'm glad you left me."

He shook his head and shot Ceras a look, "That is a big part of how I healed you, Mina. And, I've also used it when you were not looking. Ceras, I'm not going to tell you again: I did it to protect you. All of you."

Mina smiled at his nervousness. He was right to be cautious. She hadn't had the best of experiences with mages. But, she wondered if Ceras had had any similar encounters. More than likely, she just couldn't let go of her anger at Thalion, understandably.

Mina tried to shift the mood a little. "I am friends with three... two mages," she said, thinking of Anders, "Merrill was the First of her clan, and Bethany, Hawke's sister is a mage."

He smiled, pleased and hopped off of his horse, "That is good to know. I knew Merrill was a mage. Ah, but now we need to walk. The Dalish do not use horses. We use Halla, as I'm sure both of you know."

He helped Mina off of her horse, and both sisters followed him deeper into the trees, to find their clan. Finally, her foul mood seemed to be wearing off a little.