9:34 Wintermarch

Dear Cat-

I was surprised to receive your second letter, before I could even reply to your first! I must admit, I didn't much care for the first one, though the cheese you sent was very good! You'll be pleased to hear that my spar with Nathaniel ended in victory. You'll find I am not the "old man" you may think me to be!

We thank you for the invitation to your friend's wedding, unfortunately we will not be able to attend. Carver is upset about it as well, but I'm afraid you know all too well the duty that the Grey Wardens are given.

In fact, I must admit my curiosity that you continue to stay in Kirkwall. Even here in Ferelden we hear of the growing threat that are the Qunari. All of us feel concern for the mage/templar issues that are amounting as well. If you are not careful, you could find yourself in an all out war from multiple sides.

I have spoken to Duran about assisting you in this, however he assures me that the best way we can help is by focusing on our duty. I cannot say much on the subject, as you are keenly aware, but I will note that we are looking for solutions on a much grander scale than before. There are none more dedicated to seeing the blight eradicated once and for all.

I believe you may have… thoughts… on that subject, and if so, I ask that you consider sharing them with us? The more we uncover, the more certain I am that information is being kept purposefully from us. Duran has agreed, and has begun preparing for a trip to Weisshaupt to try to discover these things. He has stated that if he cannot find the answers there, he will travel the world until he can.

I do not relish that thought, you know I do not enjoy being in charge, but I cannot fault him for wanting to act. I am struggling with that myself, not wanting to disappoint him, but needing to be doing more than paperwork.

Perhaps one day we will see each other again, and be able to speak of all that has happened. For now, know that our thoughts are with you, and you are always welcome here. Please take care of yourself! I really want to see how our future spar will go… and Nathaniel has already stated he believes you will win. Did I mention what an ass he is? No? Believe me, it is the truth.

- Al

P.S. You know my name, so stop using the title! You do this on purpose don't you?!

Cat chuckled softly as she read and re-read the letter. She had known the Wardens wouldn't come for the wedding, but wanted to invite them anyway, just in case. It would have been such a nice surprise for Leandra to see Carver after all.

Cat was still surprised, but happy at how well Leandra was doing. She had practically taken on the role of mother to Aveline, assisting in her wedding plans, hiring the necessary people to decorate, and make and serve the food. She had even taken Aveline to a dress maker for the big day.

It was hard to believe that in less than a month, her friend would be a married woman again. She had been alone for so long now, even among the crew, and Cat was thrilled at how happy she was now.

She brought herself out of her thoughts, and glanced to her companion. "I'd say I was sorry for not talking to you, but I assume you enjoyed it," she teased. Hawke had sent a message to meet at his estate, and they were walking over together.

Fenris glanced back with a small smirk. "Indeed. It was a nice reprieve from your usual morning chatter."

She rolled her eyes at him. "If I was like this every morning, you'd miss it," she said.

"Let's test that theory sometime," he stated.

"You think you're so witty, don't you?" she asked, even as they walked up to Hawke's door.

He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yes," he said, lifting his fist to rap on the door.

She grinned at him, and they waited as Bodahn answered the door, and led them inside. Cat didn't make it far before she was pounced on by Hafter, and she crouched down immediately to give him a rubdown.

Fenris stood near the fireplace to keep warm. Though the days were already growing warmer, the mornings still had a lingering chill. Both Cat and Fenris were more than happy that winter was almost over.

"Thank you for coming," Hawke said as he and Leandra came down the stairs. "Mother insisted on choosing clothes for the wedding, though I am uncertain why I need to dress up. I'm not getting married," he said with a smile.

"You know very well why, Garrett Hawke," Leandra said with a gentle swat to his shoulder. Looking at the Cat and Fenris she asked, "Do the two of you have appropriate attire, or do we need to help find you some?"

"Uh," Cat and Fenris said, uncertain of what that meant.

"I'm sure I have a tunic that Fenris can wear," Hawke said, trying to hide his grin.

"Excellent! And Cat?" she asked, turning to face her. "Do you have a dress?"

"A dress?" Cat croaked, then cleared her throat. "Uh, no… but I have some very nice clothes I was saving for the occasion…"

"No that simply won't do," Leandra barreled on. "Come up and look in my closet, I'm sure I have something that we can make work."

"I'll send her up in a minute Mother," Hawke said, highly amused at Cat's expression. "I need to speak with them first."

"Very well, I'll get started." She turned around to head back up the stairs. "I expect you to join me soon," she called back.

"Yes Ma'am," Cat replied, dismayed at the turn of events. It wasn't as if she hated dresses, but she was really hoping to be comfortable at the wedding.

"Sorry about that," Hawke said, not sounding sorry at all. "Though I must admit I'm glad it isn't only me."

"Yeah, great…" Cat muttered. "So why are we here?" she grumbled.

"I was hoping you could take care of something for me today, since you're going to the Gallows." Hawke walked over to his writing desk, and took a piece of paper, handing it to Cat. "There's a templar, I'm sure you remember him… Emeric?"

"Uh, yes, I believe so," Cat replied, reading the note. "Wasn't he investigating the missing women a year or so ago?"

"Yes," Hawke nodded. "Seems he now has some vital information that he will only share with me." Hawke ran his hand through his hair as he sighed. "I'll be honest here, I think we got lucky with that necromancer, and Emeric had nothing to do with it. His evidence was nothing but a hunch, and I don't have the time, nor inclination to get more of the same from him."

Cat's eyebrows went up, showing her surprise. "But?" she asked.

"But he won't stop bothering me about it," Hawke answered. "I've got some business with Hubert about the bone pit I have to deal with, the Viscount wants yet another meeting about the Arishok, and Anders has been worrying me lately with how depressed he's been."

Cat smiled sadly at that last part, happy that she wasn't the only one trying to cheer Anders up. He was trying to do too many tasks and while accomplishing much good, he would berate himself for not meeting his own impossible standards.

"How can we help?" she asked.

"I'm hoping that Emeric will tell you what he wants me to know, knowing that you two are part of my crew. Barring that, the Knight Captain could vouch for you if needed. I really just want this to go away," he said.

"I think we could handle that," Cat replied, sticking the note into one of her pockets. "The permission to speak on your behalf note was a nice touch," she added, patting the pocket.

"Hopefully it won't be necessary, but I wouldn't bet on it," Hawke replied. "And also…"he trailed off.

"Also?" Fenris asked, surprised.

"I'm sorry, I just have a lot right now," Hawke said. "I've been meaning to talk to Sebastian about having the wedding in the chantry gardens? Mother just mentioned it again this morning, how lovely it will be with everything blooming… and I realized I never spoke to him about it."

"But, Sebastian isn't in charge of the Chantry," Cat protested.

"No, but he could help us get permission," Hawke responded. He looked at both of them, pleading. "Pleeeease?"

Cat looked unconvinced, and glanced at Fenris who wore the same expression. Then a thought came to her, and she smiled broadly. "Of course we'll help!" she said enthusiastically.

"You will?" Hawke asked in surprise.

"Yes, in fact, we'll go right now! Come on Fenris," she said, pulling him toward the door.

"Well, but…" Hawke started.

"Not a worry Hawke, we've got this covered!" Cat called back as they headed out the door. "You just handle that dress decision with your mother for me!"

"Wait-" Hawke said before Cat shut the door behind her.

Fenris looked at her satisfied expression, and started walking in the direction of the chantry. "You may think it clever, but what happens when he picks a hideous dress?" he asked her.

"Leandra doesn't own hideous dresses," Cat replied. "Having her choose one would have taken all afternoon," she said. "Hawke's impatience will cut that down considerably, or Leandra will just send him on his way, and do it herself. Either way, I win."

"Let us hope so," Fenris smirked at her.

Hawke rubbed the bridge of his nose, quickly losing all patience. "Mother, why is this so difficult? Just choose one!"

"Garrett, there are many things to think about here," she replied calmly. "It needs to be nice, but simpler than Aveline's so she doesn't upstage the bride. It needs to be a color that would work well with her coloring, and it needs to be-"

"Here!" he said, pulling out a random dress for her. "This one."

Leandra eyed the dress, ready to reject it, but decided her son had a good eye, even when he was at his wit's end. "That… could work," she said, unwilling to praise the decision when she knew it was luck that he grabbed it.

"Thank the Maker!" he said, turning and heading out of the room. Leandra smiled to herself. He was so oblivious at times, it made her laugh. The dress was a lovely deep green, and an exact match to the tunic he had thrust at her earlier that morning when he lost patience in deciding his own outfit. She smiled at the thought of their coordinating wardrobes, and decided it was a perfect lesson for them both.

"That wasn't so bad," Cat said as they left the Chantry. "At least the Grand Cleric is a nice enough woman."

"Agreed," Fenris said.

"Although, it almost seemed as if she were, I don't know…" she trailed off.

"No, speak your mind," he said.

"You know I have no problem with that," she teased back. "It's just that she tries so hard to be the neutral party in all the conflicts, that it just enrages others. I'm not saying she should pick a side," Cat barreled on before Fenris could comment. "But if the people around her don't understand what she is trying to accomplish, how will anyone else in the city?"

"It did seem as though the others in the Chantry were having arguments," he observed.

"Yes, over the Qunari, or the mages. There will always be zealots who will not listen to her words, or twist them to fit their own purposes. I can't really blame Elthina I suppose."

"Yet, you do," he answered. "Why?"

She glanced over at him, troubled that he could see her distaste. "Because the conflicts will only worsen," she answered. "And a woman in her position could do much to quell it, even without choosing a side."

He could see that at this point, she was arguing with herself, and stayed quiet.

"I don't know her, nor her motivations…" Cat's voice became softer, finishing the last sentence in her mind. So why would someone who preached of doing good… do nothing at all?

Cat shook her head, trying to rid herself of the feelings that had surfaced when she met the Grand Cleric. They were based on assumptions from a story, and couldn't be taken as truth now. But she couldn't deny that she hadn't liked the woman.

"At least the wedding will be lovely, being in such a beautiful garden," she finally said. Fenris merely glanced at her with a roll of his eyes, and she decided he had just earned himself a chatter-filled walk to the Gallows for that.

"It is almost a different experience, coming here without a mage," Fenris commented quietly.

"It definitely is," Cat agreed, leading the way into the Gallows.

He observed her interactions with the guards at the gate, the waves she received from most of the recruits and several of the templars themselves as they made their way into the courtyard. He followed behind her as she walked to the staircase in front of them, where the Knight Captain stood speaking to another templar.

Cat stopped several paces away, not wanting to intrude on their conversation. "We made good time," she said to Fenris. "The recruit's training session hasn't started yet, so we won't have to wait long."

She saw him shrug as he continued to look around the courtyard. "It's interesting, isn't it?" she asked.

He looked back to her with an eyebrow raised in question, and she smiled at the idea that they were having a conversation while he didn't utter a word.

"I mean, the different perspectives," she answered. "For as many mages that want to do good, like Hawke," she added under her breath, "there are just as many that want to subject others to their will. And the same can be said for the templars, though they usually don't see such similarities."

He contemplated her words as he watched the templars around him. It was easy to see that she was right, simply from the way the people held themselves, or the look in their eyes. He could see the desire for justice in some, the superiority in others, and even kindness in a few.

"Lady Cat," Cullen said as he approached them, and Cat smiled and turned to greet him. She had long ago convinced him to drop the title from her name, but he continued to do so in front of others.

"Knight Captain," she replied giving her hand to him, and he bowed over it, since he knew she'd give him a tongue lashing if he were to kiss it.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" Cullen asked politely, and Cat smiled.

"This is my friend, Fenris," she said by way of introduction, and also to get Fenris by her side instead of behind her. "We were sent here to meet a Ser Emeric?" she asked.

Cullen gave Fenris a curt nod, and turned back to Cat. "Ser Emeric? May I ask what this pertains to?" he asked, and Cat's eyebrows went up.

"I'm not entirely certain myself," she answered, more careful of her words. "I believe, he and our boss are old friends, and have been keeping in communication. He sent us with a note for him?" she said as she patted her pocket.

"Very well," Cullen replied with a nod. "I will see you to him." He turned back to converse with the templar behind him, and then turned back and started walking. "This way."

Cat glanced at Fenris, and shrugged, following after the knight captain. "So… uh, how are you… Ser?" Cat asked, unsure of what was going on, but trying to follow Cullen's lead.

"I am well, thank you for asking."

Cat glanced over at Fenris again, concern showing in her face now, and she silently followed her friend as he led them to a secluded corner of the courtyard.

"Ser Emeric, you have guests," Cullen said, as he stopped before an older man.

The templar's face lit up, but fell again as he took in Cat and Fenris. Obviously he was hoping for Hawke, Cat thought.

"Hello Ser," Cat said in greeting. "Our friend asked that we bring this to you," she said as she handed him the note from Hawke. "We'd like to speak with you, if that's all right."

Emeric glanced down at the note, then up at them, scrutinizing them from head to toe, looking uncertain.

"I'm afraid he is very busy," Cat said softly. "It will be much longer if you wait for him specifically, but I promise to tell him everything you tell us."

She didn't know if he remembered her from their brief meeting in Darktown so long ago, or if he simply decided that this was the best he could get, but he finally nodded.

"Thank you Knight Captain," he said to Cullen. "I will escort them out after we speak."

Cullen nodded, and strode away, and Cat looked at his retreating figure in confusion. What is going on with him? she thought, before turning back to Emeric. "Serah Hawke asked us to come," she said to the templar. "He said you had information for him?"

"I am hoping he will take it more seriously than the guard," Emeric said bitterly. "I may be older, but I am not senile."

"Of course not," Cat said with a small smile.

Emeric gave her a look, but he continued. "A few years ago, there was several women who disappeared," he began, and Cat and Fenris nodded. "Serah Hawke was instrumental in helping us discover the whereabouts of these women at that time."

"We are aware," Fenris said, and Cat gave him a look, which he returned.

"We never caught the killer however," Emeric continued, and Cat started, looking at him in surprise.

"What?" she asked, looking from Emeric in shock, to Fenris in accusation.

"And I believe, he has returned."

Fenris and Cat stopped the silent conversation they had been having, and both turned to Emeric in surprise. "What?!" they demanded.

Emeric shushed them both, looking around him. "I have told my superiors, but they have done nothing without evidence. So I investigated myself, and found several disappearances that I believe are related. In my investigation, I discovered the culprit and took everything to the city guard."

"And?" Cat asked a frown of concern on her face. They killed Quentin… right?! But… if they didn't?! her thoughts ran in circles.

"They found no evidence, and set him free."

"He's free?!" she squeaked.

"Yes," he answered, looking at her oddly. "And now I have been ordered to stop my investigation." He thrust out several pieces of paper to Fenris, who looked down at them, but didn't take them. "This is everything I have. Please… tell Serah Hawke to finish this, as he once started. This monster must be stopped."

Cat reached out and took the papers from the templar. She didn't know what to think, her mind racing with thoughts of Quentin the necromancer, the poor women he killed, Leandra, Ninette, Alessa. She surprised herself by remembering that last one.

"We'll tell him," Fenris remarked, looking concerned at Cat's behavior. He nodded to the templar and grabbed her arm, leading her away.

"Cat?" he asked softly, as he led her toward the gates. She shook her head, as she often did when trying to clear her thoughts.

"He's dead, right Fenris? You all killed him… didn't you?" she asked softly, as if in fear of his answer.

"Lady Cat?"

Cat stopped, looking up into Cullen's face as he stepped in their path before the gates.

"Cullen?" she asked, and his face darkened momentarily before it became stoic again.

"Let me escort you out," he said, waiting for them to continue, and falling in step ahead of them.

Cat had far too much to think about, and wanted, no needed, answers. She waited as long as she could past the gates before opening her mouth to demand them.

At that moment, Cullen stopped, and spun around, causing Fenris and Cat to stop suddenly.

"There has been quite the commotion in the templar hold these past few weeks," he said speaking to Cat. "Mages escaping, losing templars to their own vices, or having them simply disappear with no explanation at all."

"Uh…"

Cullen broke her off with a hand, raising it to stop her even as he stepped forward. "Meredith trying so hard to keep order, and her kindness being exploited by those that are charged with a sacred duty," he continued, even as Cat's face went incredulous.

"Mages may think that they are oppressed," he stated firmly, "but it is the templars, and the citizens that suffer when they prove time and again that they cannot handle the curse that is upon them."

"Wha-?" Cat started, even as he interrupted her again.

"After dealing with this each and every day, you can imagine how distraught I was when I heard a rumor that your group was helping a mage to conceal himself in the city."

He looked at her with hooded eyes. "Is it true… Cat?"

"What…" she began, clearing her throat and starting over. "What are you talking about?" she said cautiously. She had no idea who he was speaking of exactly, and needed to say nothing until she found out.

His eyes narrowed. "That's it then," he said. He wasn't angry with her, so much as himself. Meredith was right after all… he thought remembering their argument about Cat and her group and their influence on him. She had said she wished she wasn't right, and I foolishly defended them. But I can't, not anymore.

"Cullen," Cat said sadly. "It's not that simple."

"But it is," he said looking at her, and she shivered at the icy disinterest in his eyes. "I am a templar, and you are helping a mage. I can not protect you."

He stepped past them, walking back towards the gate. Stopping and turning back, he looked sadly at her. "I will not turn you in, because of what you have done for me," he said. "I implore you to break ties, before something bad happens. Good day, Lady Lewis."

Cat watched him, her sadness quickly being replaced with anger. Anger at him, at Meredith and all her stupid restrictions for mages, anger at the mage underground for making the templars tighten their hold, anger for the idiot mages that did whatever the hell they felt like- causing all these problems in the first place. And for some reason she couldn't understand, the anger focused on the mages in her own circle of friends that were somehow at fault that she had lost a sweet and dear man as a friend.

Her anger focused on something specific now, Cat spun on her heel and stormed off toward the dock, anxious to be back in the city. She had a few choice words for some mages that she knew, and she had the ferry ride back to choose which ones to use.

Fenris stayed quiet, knowing nothing would come of trying to talk Cat down now. Over the years he had known her, he had never seen her quite this upset. It was a little unnerving for him, seeing another side to her that he hadn't known existed.

Normally, her anger was an icy shell, something that she hid behind, freezing others out. She would become quiet or sullen depending on if she was angry or sad, but either way she couldn't stay that way for long before she confronted the problem.

Now however, she was like a fire outside a bottle of alcohol. Soon enough, the control would break, and an explosion would occur. With her shorter legs, she didn't have a chance to out pace him, but he still needed to walk quickly to keep up.

The truly disconcerting part, was that he had no idea where they were going. Once they were back in Kirkwall, she had headed directly to Hightown, and he assumed they were going back to Hawke's, or even home, but Cat kept turning down other streets, until he wasn't certain where they were, let alone what their destination was.

Cat mind was snarling, and if asked, she couldn't have said exactly where they were going, only that she would recognize it once she saw it. All these Hightown mansions all look the same, she thought, glancing left and right as she strode down the street.

She had in fact, changed her mind several times on the walk to the city. Her first thought was to go to Lowtown and look in that stupid foundry herself, to make sure that the necromancer was dead. Then she changed to Darktown, wanting to talk to Anders and Fenris about this, spelling out everything she knew was to come, and getting them to realize how idiotic all this drama was.

Then, knowing that was the worst idea, and the possibility that Olivia would be there too, she redirected herself to Hightown at the last moment, deciding some sparring at the keep would be the least damaging thing she could do with the anger that was boiling inside her veins.

Passing the Chantry had her fuming as all her thoughts circled again, and she started charging toward Hawke's home. Before they reached it however, she finally decided that she needed a fight. If she went to Hawke's, there would be a fight all right, but not what she was looking for. She wanted an all out fight, one that couldn't come from a spar.

That was how she began looking for the base of the Invisible Sisters. Isabela had shared a few days ago how they had tried to recruit her, and after declining not so politely, she had followed them back to their base. She had shared the intel with Hawke as well, but they hadn't had time yet to take them out.

Seeing a house that looked promising, she walked forward, and noticed the small sign carved into the door, she smiled a feral grin, pulling out her large daggers.

"Cat, what is going on?" Fenris finally asked.

"A fight," she answered, kicking in the door, and striding forward.

Orana had gone to the hanged man as Hawke asked, and given the news to the dwarf as instructed. She hadn't expected so many others with him, nor for them all to accompany her back to her new home. The group was quiet, and she quickly took her leave once they arrived, as they all made her nervous.

Hawke looked around at the people gathered, and directed them to the sitting room.

"Hawke?" Aveline asked as she entered, the last to arrive. "What's going on? The message wasn't specific…"

Hawke didn't answer, as he heard the footsteps on the stairs and went to open the door. Anders and Olivia walked in, followed by Fenris, who was practically covered in bandages, and there were several quick intakes of breath.

"Where's Kitty?" Isabela demanded as she stood up.

"Sleeping," Anders answered as he collapsed into a chair. "She'll be fine," he said to Hawke, who nodded in relief.

"What happened?!" Isabela insisted.

"Everyone sit down," Hawke directed. "It's going to take a bit." He went to the table and grabbed the decanter. "Drink?" he offered to the room, and almost everyone nodded. Olivia went to help pass out glasses as Hawke poured.

"Today was one of Cat's visits to the Gallows, so I asked Fenris to accompany her to speak with a templar," Hawke began.

"Emeric?" Aveline guessed, and Hawke nodded.

"So what, they were ambushed?" Varric asked, and they looked over to Fenris, who just shook his head.

"Just listen," Hawke said, and continued. "For those of you who don't remember, or weren't with us yet, Emeric is a templar who was investigating missing women. We stumbled into him, and ended up taking over his investigation, which led us to a powerful necromancer, who was… experimenting with and killing the women."

"What happened to him?" Merrill asked with wide eyes.

"We killed him," Isabela said bluntly.

"We attempted to arrest him, and he resisted," Aveline corrected, and Isabela smirked at her.

"Whatever you say."

"The reason I bring this up," Hawke interjected, "is that Emeric has been under the impression that the necromancer escaped." The group looked back to him in surprise. "We didn't exactly give a report about the experience," he responded tersely.

"So?" Varric asked. "He's still investigating?"

"Yes," Hawke answered. "And he believes he has found the killer."

Aveline shook her head. "He believes," she said with a shake of her head. "His evidence looked promising, so my guards raided the man's house. And found nothing."

"Very embarrassing," Varric noted, and Aveline scowled at him.

"He's insistent that we missed something, though both the guard and the templars have dismissed the matter."

"Which brings it back to us," Hawke continued. "Cat and Fenris went to speak to him today at the Gallows."

"So what happened?" Anders asked after a pause and Olivia elbowed him.

"Cat asked if we had truly killed the necromancer or not," Fenris spoke up, and everyone besides Hawke looked at him in surprise.

"What, she thought he could resurrect himself after death?" Isabela asked in jest.

"You never explained you know," Anders told her. "When you came to the clinic, you just told her he was dead, that's all."

"And what?" she retorted. "Now she doesn't believe us?" She turned to Fenris. "You set her straight, right?"

"I didn't have a chance to, we were interrupted."

"Okay, so we simply tell her we watched him die then," she said, as if that solved everything.

Fenris shook his head. "That is not my concern," he said, moving slowly to adjust his position. "The information Emeric gave us is."

Hawke cleared his throat, bringing the papers Fenris had brought him in front of him. "While I think we can all agree the necromancer is dead, Emeric's investigations have recorded over fifteen women that have disappeared within the last six months."

"What?" Sebastian asked. "How is that not public knowledge? That's a serial killer loose in our city!"

"There is absolutely no connection between those women," Aveline stated. "I personally interviewed their families and associates. Some have run away, some had publicly stated they were leaving the city. Our city has its share of crime, true, but that doesn't mean every single disappearance is because of a serial killer."

"Good point," Varric agreed. "Between the gangs on the streets, slavers, and your common criminals, that number seems almost small," he reasoned.

"True," Hawke agreed, "but it can't hurt to be cautious, especially with our friends." He glanced over at Isabela, and Aveline, before focusing closer on Merrill, then Olivia. "Everyone gets escorted home for the foreseeable future," he announced causing Aveline and Isabela to scowl, Merrill to smile, and Olivia to look relieved. "I would hate for anything to happen to any of you," he added, and the two that scowled rolled their eyes, knowing they had lost before the argument even began.

"I still haven't heard what happened to Kitty," Isabela brought up as she stood to refill her glass.

"I gathered that the knight captain was acting strangely, by the looks Cat was giving me," Fenris explained. "And once we were done, he met us at the gate as we were leaving, and escorted us away from the ferry, in order to speak privately."

Hawke frowned, taking a gulp from his own glass, and hissing through his teeth after he swallowed.

"He told Cat that he heard she was helping to harbor a mage in the city, and asked if it was true," Fenris continued.

The others looked at their mage friends, who glanced at each other.

"And what did she say?" Anders asked.

"Nothing," he replied, taking offense that Anders could think otherwise. "And he took that as a sign of her guilt."

"What happened?" Isabela repeated again, wishing they would all get to the point.

"There will be no more visits to the Gallows," he said, not wanting to explain further.

"Did he hurt her?" Sebastian demanded.

"No," Fenris answered. "She did that all herself."

The crew looked at him in question, and turned to Hawke as he cleared his throat again. "Remember that gang of assassins we were going to take care of?" he asked. "Apparently Cat was so angry at everyone and everything that she picked a fight with them… at their base."

"WHAT?!" the question from everyone became as loud as a shout to his ears.

"Fenris ran in after her, but she wouldn't stop, until the last one was down," he continued, looking over to the elf. "He brought her here, and we got Anders and Olivia, as quickly as we could."

Anders picked up from there. "She lost a lot of blood, and will need several days of rest," he said soberly. "And she has a few new scars… but she's alive."

Cat grumbled to herself, unhappy to be told to stay in bed another day. I'm fine! she shouted internally. She understood why her friends were upset with her, she would have been furious had the situations been reversed, but it didn't stop her from being sullen about it.

Only when Anders threatened to keep her in bed until the wedding, did she stop protesting out loud and kept it to herself.

When she finally had woken up in the middle of the night, she had honestly been surprised to wake up at all, and if she were being completely honest, it was almost a let down. She was glad to still be alive, truly, but she was so tired of the constant drama around her over the mages and templars.

Cullen's just the first, she thought. How many more will I lose over this… insanity?!

She knew it wasn't fair, and didn't make any sense… she was furious with everyone, but most especially Hawke. The boiling hatred she had felt that day was gone, so she simply retreated into herself, wishing she could go back to simpler times like getting a divorce. Even that didn't hurt as much as this.

The door cracked open, and she quickly shut her eyes.

"Pretending to be asleep will only work for so long," Leandra said as she walked into the room, setting down a tray and fussing with the curtains, bringing more light into the room. Finishing with that, she picked up the tray and set in on Cat's lap, then sat in the chair next to the bed.

"I'm afraid I'm going to watch you eat that," she told Cat gently. "You're not eating enough to suit your healers."

Cat sighed, finally opening her eyes to look at the tray containing bread and broth. Everything tasted like cardboard, but maybe she could choke down enough to satisfy Leandra. She picked up a piece of bread and nibbled at it.

"I realize you don't want to talk about it all," Leandra said, watching the frown deepen on Cat's face. "But keeping it all inside is most likely what is keeping you from getting out of bed."

Cat looked at her dryly, showing her disbelief for the idea.

"Now now," Leandra said with a smile. "Don't just dismiss it without at least giving it a try," she said. Her voice was extremely gentle as she added, "they love you, you know. They can't help but worry."

Tears welled, and Cat just willed them to go away. Her body betrayed her, as it always did when it came to tears, and they fell down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I can't seem to stop."

"The tears?" Leandra asked, knowing that wasn't what she meant. "It's nothing between friends, now is it?"

"Not friends anymore," Cat said as her lower lip quivered.

"Oh, of course you are," Leandra said, and Cat wondered who she thought they were speaking of.

"Mother?" Hawke asked as he walked in. Noting Cat was no longer pretending to sleep, he gave her a small smile, though the tears had him worried.

"You have… a visitor?" he said in question, wondering if he should send the woman away.

"Oh, it must be about the wedding," Leandra said as she stood. "Sit here Garrett, Anders said Cat needs to finish everything on her plate today."

Garrett noted the food looked untouched, and while he would love to give Cat the space she seemed to want, he wanted her well more. So he sat, and his mother left the room.

"So… uh…" Hawke started, uncertain of what to say. "What were you two talking about?" he asked.

"Friends," Cat said as she looked away, and started eating her bread again. The faster I finish this, the faster he'll leave.

"Oh?" he asked, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry about that, by the way." She had heard him say it before, but since he thought she was sleeping he didn't know that.

"Thank you," she said icily. Perhaps if I make him uncomfortable enough, he'll just go. "I'm sure you are deeply upset that I am no longer friends with a templar," she said.

Hawke wondered how he could feel cold from someone's voice but decided there were stranger things in the world.

They were quiet for some time, the only sound from Cat's chewing and swallowing. Hearing something else, he looked up to see she was crying again.

"Actually, I am upset," Hawke said suddenly, and Cat looked at him like he was a bug.

"Oh?" she said. "And do tell, what has the mighty Garrett Hawke so upset?" she mocked.

"That you are no longer friends with Cullen," Hawke answered, and Cat sneered.

"Sure," she said sarcastically.

"It's true," he insisted. "He made you happy, and helped you see things from both sides, I always envied that." Cat looked at him in confusion and he continued. "From what I've heard, he's had a rough go, and you've helped him too. It seems wrong to simply let that go, just because of me."

Cat sneered again, grateful, because she had felt herself softening. "Don't flatter yourself," she said. "He felt betrayed, and I don't blame him. Anyone would do the same."

"Not everyone," Hawke contradicted her.

"Please," she said with an eye roll, dipping her bread in the bowl of broth and taking a bite. "You get turned in to the templars, and you hear it was me. When you ask, I don't deny it." She looked at him angrily. "And we're still friends? You don't feel betrayed?"

Hawke went to shake his head, but seeing the defeat and fear in her eyes stopped him. He took a moment, thinking it through honestly. "I might feel betrayed…" he said, and she scoffed. "But we'd still be friends."

"What."

He stood, and looked out the window. "I know you, as well as I can I suppose," he said. "You would never betray a friend. So… if that was how it looked, I would just be missing information. So I'd ask you, who was forcing your hand?" He turned back around, seeing the shock in Cat's wide eyes.

"You would not."

Hawke shrugged, glad that he saw something besides despair in her face. "Say what you want, but that's what I would do," he replied as he sat again.

She continued to stare at him, and he went with impulse and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'll always be your friend," he told her. "No matter what."

He didn't quite know what to say after that, as she bit her lip and stared down at her plate.

"Promises like that, are made to be broken," she said, closing her eyes for a moment, before looking back over at him. "But thank you, all the same."

She glanced down, seeing that she didn't finish the broth, but she was suddenly very tired. "I think I want to sleep some more," she said, and he smirked at her.

"Oh? With all the sleep you've been getting?"

She flushed, knowing that Leandra wasn't the only one to see right through her. "That's fine," Hawke said with a smile as he stood and picked up the tray. "Hafter will be delighted to help you finish, and Anders will never know."

He looked back as he got to the door, seeing her settling back on the pillows, the corners of her mouth upturned. He thought about what he knew of her as he walked down to the kitchen, uncertain of why he had never picked up on her fear of others leaving her. He whistled quietly for Hafter, determined to keep his hastily made promise no matter the cost.