Hawke

The heavy black armor around Hawke's body clinked loudly as he made his first steps into Denerim's market district, face bathed in the perspirations of constant travel. At first glance, little had changed in the large city, even with the mage crisis at hand, the jewel of Ferelden and her people went about their lives as if nothing had happened at all. The tightly spaced buildings and taverns had given Hawke a slight feeling of claustrophobia at first, but it was necessary for this was the best place he could think to hide, among the countless people he would hardly be recognizable by any he wouldn't recognize first.

As he moved farther into the market district, the crowds grew thicker until everyone on the street were almost shoulder to shoulder, not something he was used to or comfortable with, causing him to keep a tight grip on his coin-purse and staff. If anything were to happen he would have to defend himself solely with his staff, using magic in the street would undoubtedly expose him as a mage, or condemn him as a maleficar , causing guards and Templars to come running, not to mention any of his spells could unintentionally kill dozens of people in the crossfire.

The slow moving ebb and flow of the crowded street was reminiscent of a woodland stream, constant motion that pushed anything inside along, willing or unwilling, and Hawke rode the metaphorical stream until he located a tavern he could rest in, maybe have a few drinks in the meantime. The first he noticed tavern was settled halfway down an alleyway off of the packed main road, quaint and ordinary by every standard, even the name 'Marin's Tavern' which could be read from the suspended sign in front of the establishment was average and unoriginal. Inside was a single large room with tables scattered throughout and a row of bar stools situated behind the barkeeps counter, the place was dimly lit and scarce of patrons, Hawke estimated that there we maybe ten or so people in the room, though he didn't look very hard to find out.

Deciding to sit at the empty bar, and away from the men in the back, whom he could hardly see, Hawke tapped the bar with his knuckles and waited on the tender to make his way over.

"Hail travelah, what'll it be?" The man spoke with his head down as he occupied himself with an empty glass mug.

"Hail, um how's the summer ale here?" Hawke said as he rested his elbows on the bar top, somewhat staring off into space.

"Rubbish, only the Freemarchers that come in here ordah that swill." Still too preoccupied with the glass in his hand to look up at the man he was speaking to.

"Ahh, well then I'll have two mugs of the summer ale serrah."

The barkeep raised his head at the remark, obviously the man was from the Freemarches, and he had just insulted his favorite drink, he cautiously eyed the man across the bar, he was expecting maybe a merchant or guard, what he saw he assumed was a warrior, maybe a mercenary, and the unique armor that covered his right arm and lower body suggested he was not the ordinary sort. He chose his next words carefully, not wanting to offend the possibly dangerous Freemarcher a second time. "Well what brings ye t' Denerim, erm.... S'rrah?" He scurried off to pour the ale while attempting casual conversation with the man in the black armor, but his voice took a nervous tone and shook slightly as he spoke.

Hawke continued without making eye contact with his bartender, his paranoia setting in when the mans voice changed, fearing he had identified him. Better business, you know these merchants, always having a hard time taking care of themselves and all." If the man continued with this behavior, he would have to kill him, along with the rest of the patrons, maybe burn the place down to cover his trail, it was a shame, all he wanted was a few drinks, but trouble seemed to follow him everywhere, even this unknown bar crammed in the middle the largest city in Ferelden.

"If it ain't the truth, always business for a mercenary wiff th' merchants, er's yer ale good man." Two mugs slid in front of Hawke as he snapped out of his trance, the man drifted on the far side of the bar, again fondling the empty mug, giving him some space to quietly enjoy his drink.

Lifting the mug in the air and drowning his problems in alcohol, he let go of most of his tension and thought of what he would do now. A rather foolish plan, come to Ferelden and...... Nothing, he hadn't thought anywhere passed that, like somehow coming here would have solved all of his problems, but in fact, it had solved nothing. He was still a mage, he was still the Champion of Kirkwall, and thousands of people still knew what he looked like, they were all mostly denizens of Kirkwall, but because of the commotion there had to be many that fled to Ferelden. The only option now was to prepare, someone somewhere would recognize him eventually, he just needed the right plan when the time finally arrived.

It was a Cold day at Vigil's keep, the Fortress having withstood the Mother's brutal army. Lucas; The Warden commander who had slayed not only The archdemon but the mother as well. An Elf with no equal as others had mentioned to him. Lucas stood in the throne room his arms crossed over his chest. He wore his custom made armor, crafted by the finest leather-workers and smiths that he could find. The Dalish leather was worked by a nimble and crafty Dalish elf, the leather dyed Teal in coloration. The chain-mail that covered his left arm down to his leather gauntlet hand worked by the finest smith at the keep; Wade, as well as the metal plates at his knees and covering his boots. The swords on his back were both finally crafted and made from the finest materials. First Vigilance forged from the bone of an elder dragon and shaped to perfection, the second was an ornate Dalish longsword forged by the smith of his clan; Master Ilen.

He had been listening to the words of Captain Carevel, about the situation in Amaranthine. Though the attack by the mother had been sometime ago; repairs were still being made to the city, and bandits as well as pirates were popping up all over the city. This had began to occupy his time, not to mention refugees fleeing the civil war in Kirkwall. He raised a hand to silence the captain rubbing his gauntlet hand along his right arm. "Fortify the town, and give out rations to the refugees...and send a small group of wardens to patrol the town for the night." He said watching as the captain went off to do his wishes. Lucas was restless; no more great battles to be fought, no more archdemons to battle and slay. He was at a loss for things to do. He was Dalish, he wished to travel, but his new status and existance gave him not the chance. He sat down hard on the steps in the throne room brushing a hand through his black hair. "What I wouldn't give for another blight.." He mumbled to himself. The situation with the mages had not grown so bad where he was, and with that He had no cause for fear, Alistair was in charge, he could handle it. When he was needed, he would go; and gladly fight; but for now his place was here, ruling Amaranthine. playing with the shoulder pauldron on his right shoulder trying to get it to fit right he sighed. He stood once more turning his attention towards the entrance to the throne room. He should go train, but feeling rather lethargic currently he moved to the throne removing his sword and laying them against the chair and sitting down, resting his left elbow against the arm of the chair and his chin in his hand; waiting for something exciting to happen.

"Ahh, well then I'll have two mugs of the summer ale serrah."

Serrah...only Freemarchers used that title. Or Ferelden-turned-freemarcher-turned-Champion of Kirkwall. Michaline knew she was pushing it, betting that the man that stood at the bar was him. Garret Hawke. But, he was of proper age, he had that look about him, he was a mage...her nerves tingled as she watched him closely. Could she really have found him so easily? Were the rumors of Hawke being in Denerim true? She couldn't belive her stroke of luck. Perhaps Terani and Haley would be alright after all. Her dual swords scraped against her armor as she stood up, and took a place next to the bar. She nodded to the bartender, and then to Hawke, her blue eyes bright. It was him. She knew it. She took a slight breath before speaking.

"I've heard rumors messare." Her Starkhaven accent was strong and noticable. "They say that apostate Champion of Kirkwall is rumored to be in Denerim, right now, in fact. Know about any truth to these?"

The bartender scoffed, thinking she was directing her talk to him. "Why would someone like the Champion of Kirkwall want to be in Denerim for? We're nothing special, specially after the Warden returned to Vigil's Keep up north." He resumed his cleaning.

Her eyes were trained on Hawke's face. "I see..." She said slowly. She knew that as Hawke looked at her, that he knew she knew the truth. She raised a finger as he started to reach for his staff. "Ah-ah, come now...we don't want to cause a big commotion now do we? What, do you intend to burn the whole city of Denerim? Now that won't be keeping a low profile now would it? I just have something to discuss with you in private, and I swear on my King Sebastian's life-blood that I would dare not breathe a word of the information I posses to anyone." She hadn't meant to swear a blood-oath, but at his reaction, she deemed it necessary. Besides, it was comon knowledge to most who knew the Champion's story that he personaly knew the King of Starkhaven.

The only option now is to prepare, someone somewhere will recognize me eventually, I just need the right plan when the time finally arrives.

"I've heard rumors messare." The woman's Starkhaven accent was evident. "They say that apostate Champion of Kirkwall is rumored to be in Denerim, right now, in fact. Know about any truth to these?" It was obvious that the woman knew who he was, providing a rather dangerous situation for The Champion.

Makers breath that was fast, looks like I have to burn this place down after all. Before he moved or even acknowledged the foolish woman, he turned up the second mug of ale and graciously finished it off. In an uninspired gesture, he reached for his staff, but the woman retorted before he could remove it, he stopped, if only for the sake of semantics alone, had he been in a worse mood, the woman would be nothing more than a pile of ashes by now, but he humored her and let her speak before he made his move.

"Ah-ah, come now...we don't want to cause a big commotion now do we? What, do you intend to burn the whole city of Denerim? Now that won't be keeping a low profile now would it?

"Seeing as I'm probably the only mage for thousands of miles, and templars are so few these days, there is very little anyone could do if I wanted to burn this cesspool to the ground." He could tell the woman was far to interested in him for just another attempt at his life, she wanted something from him, what else is new.

"I just have something to discuss with you in private, and I swear on my King Sebastian's life-blood that I would dare not breathe a word of the information I posses to anyone." Just as he thought, 'I have a problem that only you can solve and I'm running out of time,' they all started this way, but this was a different time and a different Hawke, and the woman had no idea how lucky she would be if she got to walk away disappointed.

"Sebastian is a fool, he attacked me due to differing opinions of the Chantry, and the ONLY reason he still exsists for you to call 'King' is because his legs were swifter than mine that day, tis the natural defense of a coward."

Standing, Hawke started for the door, the familiar clinking of the steel armor and occasional jingle of his chain-mail shirt were rhythmic and almost sounded like music as he walked. Before he opened the door, he looked back to the woman and nodded his head as a gesture to follow, then exited back out into the alleyway. Turning, he crept into the space between the bar and the adjacent building, effectively hiding him, and whatever the woman had to say, from the eyes and ears of the street.

It was quiet evening in the Korkari Wilds. Nothing more than the whisper of the birds and the tree. Flemith's old home has been slowly turning into rubble, the roof has caved in and a family of wolves have made a den out of it. The soft ground all around was covered in moss all the way up to the swamps edge where long grasses took over and a few lily-pads. A sole frog came up onto land what seemed to be for the first time, a tiny stub of a tail remained from his tadpole days. Slowly he crawled up onto land and took one tentative hop forwards. Getting his bearings he took another and another and continued this pattern until a large black mirror stood in his way. Silence fell in the wilds. The little frog frozen where it was. There was a light buzzing sound that grew louder and louder until it was crackling. Black and blue lightening began to appear and vanish again all around the mirror.

In a few second the poor frog was back in the water and gone from sight. The crackling and flashing continued until there was one final Boom! a flash of blinding light and then there was a woman standing just outside of the black mirror. Hood up and staff in hand, the figure moved forward silently. Clad in all leather the figure paused 10 feet out side of the run down home. A large grey wolf inside slowly came out, its hackles raised and bright white teeth shining in the dim light of the setting sun. A warning growl slowly raised from its chest. The figure cocked its head to the side and a soft laugh rang from under the hood. "Please brother. Be calm," it whispered soothingly. The wolf paused but its hackles never fell. The figure reached up and removed her hood.

Morrigan smiled at the beast and crouched down, her yellow eyes locking with the wolf. "I mean you or your pups no harm." The hackles slowly fell back into place and with a huff the wolf turned and returned to its den. Morrigan stood again and stretched, a few bone cracking as she did. "Oh I am getting so old," she grumbled. Looking back at the mirror she reached her right hand out and closed her eyes. A few moments later, the black mirror appeared as if it were an ancient twisted tree. "I'll be back my sweet," she whispered. Turning away Morrigan lifted her staff up in her left hand and brought it down hard. In a flash of light, where Morrigan was standing there was down a High Dragon. Now I know why mother traveled this way. It's quite exhilarating.

Stretching out her massive wings Morrigan launched into the air. Let's see if what the trees are telling me is true. The circles have fallen due to a "Champion"? Morrigan chuckled, but coming out of her current form it was a rather terrifying noise and it only make Morrigan laugh a little harder at herself. Oh, boy. Now, where to find this so called "Champion". I'm sure Alistair his having a fit with all of these mages running around. Angling herself, Morrigan began to head North-East towards Denerim.

"Shiiiit! It's a mage!"

A young man ran from the Lake Calenhad dock as a woman rowed herself to land, "Well. that was nice of him." She muttered sarcastically, ignoring the stares from other men and women keeping guard for runaway mages, "What?" She barked at them, a few men raised their weapons slightly, ready to charge. Verinn only sighed and looked at the now murky waters,

"That water was once believed to have special properties." A young boy walked up to her, offering a small candle. Verinn took it cautiously, eyeing the people that seemed to be his parents, as they were staring in horror and shock at their son approaching an apostate,

"It did. I'm not sure if it still does. You know of King Calenhad, yes?" She rolled the candle in her hand, admiring the colored spirals that were intertwined with the wax itself. She nodded, satisfied, as the boy recited a small excerpt of a book, (Thedas: Myths and Legends), "Right. Never could he be stricken by blade on Ferelden soil. That would have been useful in the Blight." Verinn nodded again, and started to take a step towards the road towards Denerim, "I must be off." she muttered breezily, swiftly walking past the young boy, ignoring the somewhat softened glares from others.

I am not wanted here. Maybe in Denerim. Fort Drakon? Somewhere there should be something I can do. Verinn thought as she decided to take the northern route, Faster. The single thought made it through her head as she eyed a wolf or two circling around a few trees. It didn't help her decision when the sky started to darken. Holding up a small fireball to light her path, she started to take her route, staff ready in her right hand, her knuckles whitened from her grip.

--

"I think that should be far enough." Verinn muttered, she was somewhere between the Bannorn and the Coastlands, holding the fireball at her side, watching for wolves. And then a groan similar to a hurlock's was heard from behind, "What?! I thought the Darkspawn would stay to the south!" She swore and held her staff again, already preparing a spell for the "intruders". She held took the candle from her pocket and lit it, setting it down on a round stone next to her. Extinguishing her fireball, she held up a stonefist, ready to punch the air towards any noise that sounded near her.

Another groan, Verinn set off and punched to her left, hearing, with satisfaction, a howl of pain. It was a wolf, instead. She turned sharply to her left again as a twig cracked, revealing a hurlock waving it's sword towards her, it charged, and Verinn let the Chain lightning surround it. She straightened an outstretched hand towards the hurlock, who was standing there, trying to find a way to avoid the spell.

"Goodbye." She sang, as she clenched her hand, crushing the Hurlock with gravity, blood spewing from it's mouth and eyes, some of it reaching Verinn's robes and breastplate. Gross. She shook her head, extinguished the candle, pocketing it once again, and started to continue her way towards Denerim. Not safe to stay out alone anymore, huh...

"Sebastian is a fool, he attacked me due to differing opinions of the Chantry, and the ONLY reason he still exsists for you to call 'King' is because his legs were swifter than mine that day, tis the natural defense of a coward."

Michaline followed him, and said as she did so, "I never denied he was. Indeed, when I said his life-blood, I mean the blood that will one day turn my blade red. If you want to blame someone about me being here, blame Sebastian. He is being hard-pressed to find a Queen, and a heir. My family was a noble one in Starkhaven, even with our dark secret. My mother, two sisters, and brother were all mages. My father, believe it or not, was a templar. I was the only one born withot any magical talent. For resons unknown, Sebastian chose me to be his bride. I refused. He dug intomy family, and had my family ordred to be killed." Her eyes darkened as she continued. I only got my sisters away in time." She then turned to him full on, and said, "I'm not looking for the Champion of Kirkwall, or the Slayer of the Arishok. I'm simply looking for a mge who might be willing to help fellow apostates. If you can take them into your care, my silence will be assured. I swear to you that if you do not, then my silence is assured anway, as the Starkhaven militia is out looking for me, I know what it is like to be hunted. However, I doubt that will pacify you. If you wish to kill me, then so be it. I'm not a fool, I know your strength Serrah, and frankly, I think I'd have a better chance facing an Archdemon than fighting you." Sh thenstopped, watching him, awaiting his answer, knowing full well that she probably would not walk out of this bar alive.

Amarathine. A city of poverty, crimes and barbarism. The one ruling the city might say they have the situation under control, but if Ashaad were in control he would pure this city the very second he got the chance to do so. The people living here was tainted by crimes, filth and prostitution. Dusk had recently arrived and as the sun died in the horizon, men and women quickly hurried back home, back to what they thought were safety. However, if a bandit would like to they could easily break in and destroy several lives in the process of stealing just one piece of gold; He would ruin this city for an entire family, making them feel unsafe every time they walked on its streets and amongst its people. Ashaad spit on the ground before him just as he left Amarathine through its northern gates. He had just stopped here for a short break before continuing his long journey towards what the people in these lands called "The Vigil's Keep" where he might find the man he was looking for.

The road was long, dangerous and the moon provided little to no light to illuminate his path as the Qunari made his way alongside the country road. Around him he could see farms, thick forests and large mountains through the ever present darkness that surrounded him by night. In the distance he could hear a wolf crying out for company and within a few short moments it was answered by another wolfs call. Ashaad shook his head and smiled slightly. Wolves... They were a species that relied on each other to become stronger and hunt their foes down. Just like the Qunari; They worked together to achieve something few before them has: Peace through order and control. If someone was good at something it would be stupid to let them do something entirely else. For an example: an Elf who was good at counting and worked as a guard instead; A pure waste of talents. That Elf should be working as either an economic agent or a merchant who could fairly supply the troopers that had the skills and wits to actually win a war. And with that, Ashaad pushed on through the dark night while the stars above stared down upon him.

Before him a large wall rose up through the dying darkness. Dawn was upon them all and the sun was rising in the horizon once more to wake the world up just as it has from the very beginning of time and space. The gates slowly opened as he approached and once Ashaad came inside he was greeted by four men in silver colored armors that bore the symbol of a standing griffin; The Grey Warden insignia. Ashaad stopped in front of them and bowed deeply with his hands crossed on his chest as he did so. The men bowed as well, in their own way.

"We have been expecting you." The tallest man of them said out loud and made the sign for Ashaad to follow him towards the stone stairs ahead. Ashaad simple nodded and followed. He presumed that they had agents in Amarathine and they had spotted him quite easily through the crowd and then figured that he was heading for Vigil's Keep for some reason. They started to climb the many stairs leading up towards higher ground where he saw several men and women in leather suits, training. Some of them clashed with steel blades while other more young people fought with blades made out of wood. To his right he saw a smithy where the clinging sound of a hammer meeting hot metal were ever so present. To his left there was several small houses on a straight line. It seemed to be a small and yet quite heavily fortified fortress. The only thing that Ashaad thought they missed was some sort of cooking area where they could provide food to the entire fortress each morning very swiftly for a minimum cost.

"Our agents spotted you in Amarathine and learned of your intentions in these lands, Qunari. The Commander will surely be glad to meet you. He's been a bit on the downside for the past couple of weeks. I think he's missing the action he used to get while being out on his adventures." The man said and chuckled slightly. The other Grey wardens chuckled as well, but Ashaad remained focused on the task at hand. They stopped in front of the last couple of stairs leading up to a small gate. Ashaad awaited further orders, but to his surprise they seemed to trust that he would find his way to the throne room by himself. The Qunari nodded at the Grey wardens one last time before the climbed the last stairs.

Upon reaching the double doors Ashaad didn't care to knock or anything. He was not here to waste his own time on courtesy or manners. He had a mission and it required swift feet and a good sense of his surroundings along with some knowledge about Ferelden traditions and such things alike. Ashaad smashed the doors open and quickly walked in. His black plate armor didn't bounce or even move when he made his way up towards the elf sitting in the throne at the end of the hall. His armor were skillfully attached to his body parts with leather belts to ensure that none of his armor pieces would fall off or disturb him during combat. On each side of his waist a large broadsword hanged firmly attached to his waist-belt that could be pulled out in a matter of seconds. However, his quest was not to kill the Commander, but to make sure he follows the instructions that the Ariqun and the Arishok had given to Ashaad before he began his long journey. The large Qunari stopped in front of the throne and bowed deeply at the Commander and began to speak before anyone else had the chance of doing so before him:

"I am Ashaad, Seeker of the Qunari and faithful warrior of the Qun. Grey Warden Commander, Hero of Ferelden, I am here today to give you a warning and a proposal; The lands in the north are crumbling as we speak. A war as begun, a war that I am very certain that you are aware of. The Qunari are ready to face this new threat, but doing so alone would mean our end. We need more factions, more soldiers at our side when the moment to plunge into this darkness is at hand." Ashaad explained with a heavy accent that was common amongst his people and took a few steps towards the throne and the elf sitting upon it.

"I come in peace and I seek your allegiance against this threat. It doesn't matter how you look at our race, but what matters is what this war will do to Thedas if no one stops it. My request was denied by your order in the Weisshaupt Fortress of Anderfels, but I'm sure that you can look at this in a more logical way. A way that looks past the duties and the old sacred traditions of yours. I will only ask you once; Will you join us in our struggle for peace and order?" Ashaad asked and reached out with his right hand at the elf as a sign of peace and understanding. The choice between peace or chaos was now the Commanders to choose.

Lucas listened to the qunari rubbing at his chin slightly. It had been quite sometime since he had last seen a qunari, and in remembrance of his friend Sten he could not turn a blind eye to Ashaad. He stood up, still a small child in size compared to the giant, gripping his hand firmly with the strength of a man that had seen more combat then even the most hardest of war veterans. "I will offer my assistance as a favor to your race, I owe; Ferelden owes Sten for helping cleanse us of the blight." He said looking over his shoulder at the Captain smiling some, before turning his attention back to Ashaad. "Besides, sitting in a throne room barking orders to new warden's isn't my idea of spending the rest of my years." He then turned his full attention to the Captain. "I will be leaving for Denerim, King Alstair will need to know of my actions. I'm leaving you in charge of the current situations here; I'm sure you will handle it justly."

Lucas was overly-excited to the idea of traveling once more. "Ashaad, We will leave immediately, I doubt we'll need any of my warden's to travel with us, so no need to wait." Lucas grabbed his swords sliding them back onto his back. proceeding to the double doors. The trip wouldn't take long, and Alistair; well it had been quite sometime since he had last spoken to the man. Though now officially a royal pain in his ass; it couldn't hurt to drop in uninvited and see how he was doing now that he was king.

He proceeded down the stairs towards the courtyard only once to turn to look behind him. Lucas was sure he needed not hold the giants hand, from the look at the weapons at his hips he doubted the man would need him around. Then again it was his reputation that proceeded him in every situation; even smugglers seemed to cower away from him. He shook his head of memories tapping a fledgling warden on the shoulder. "Keep your shield arm up high, the worst mistake you can make is leaving your chest, or neck open." He said with a kind smile. He made his way to the entrance to the vigil. He stopped and turned around looking at the giant fortress. "How time does fly.." He mumbled off to himself as he awaited Ashaad so they could start their journey to Denerim.

Well, as fun and as quick as this is, it becomes incredibly boring after the first ten minutes. Morrigan looked down at the ground that was hundreds of feet below her. If someone were to look up they wouldn't be able to get a good enough look to confirm what it is they thought they saw. Opening her massive jaws she let out a yawn which turned into a roaring stream of flames. Chucking to herself again in that terrifying grumble Morrigan shoot her head. Alright. Time to interact with the human race yet again.

Angling her wings, Morrigan flew towards a mass of trees about a mile outside of Denerim. In her attempt at landing, Morrigan successfully took out 2 trees and crippled at least three others. In a flash of light she spun around and bit her lip, "Oops. I need to work on that." Pusing that minor worry out of her mind Morrigan strapped her staff to her back pulled up her hood and began to trek towards Denerim. "Been a long time since I've seen this place. The hustle and bustle of the city life," rolling her eyes she ended up on the well traveled trail where she could see 2 men up ahead talking erratically as if terrifying and pointing in the general direction she had emerged from. "So, what is it you two are pointing at or have you both just lost your minds?"

The men stopped and then tried to speak at once, "The- Dr- Didn't you! -And then-..." glancing between the two Morrigan rolled her eyes again and held her hands up to silence them.

"Boys, it has been a long time since I've spoken with another," Morrigan looked their grubby forms up and down for a moment and curled her lip before she continued with her best fake smile she could manage, "intelligent adult..." she mumbled. This time only own spoke.

"Der, der was a dragon! A huge dragon! It landed jus' over der in da wood!" Morrigan looked over there then back at them. Her first instinct was to say Well that was me you fools! but if what she heard was right, that wouldn't be one of her best ideas at the moment.

"Well then I'll be sure to stay on my guard. Thanks for the warning!" Before they spoke again she continued on her way. It didn't take long before she walked through the massive gates of Denerim.

"I don't remember this place being so big," she mumbled and glanced around. "Well, if my memory serves, if I want to learn anything, go to the bar."

Kithrian had been on the road for days, the humid air of the Freemarches was bearing down on him, and perspiration covered his sun-drenched face as he pushed forward. The Seeker had been through worse though, a little unfavorable weather wouldn't stop his trek, although he would graciously accept any bit of rain the Maker could give him. The wide dirt path seemed to be empty save for him, which was rather disheartening, no travelers to talk to or bandits to beat on made for a long trip indeed, and he was still a long way from the coast.

"Where to first, I suppose Denerim would be much closer than Amaranthine, so The Champion first? No, I'm positive The Champion will be hiding out, making my job a lot more complicated, The Warden would be the easier to find... Vigil's Keep is hard to miss anyway." The Seeker had a horrible habit of thinking aloud, often making him appear foolish when in the company of others, though he cared little of what anyone else thought about it. His legs pushed ever forward as he made his way to the southern coast of the Freemarches, where he hoped to take ship to Ferelden and locate the legendary duo. Just three days before, he was contacted by an agent of the Divine herself, and given specific orders to track down one Garrett Hawke and Lucas Narmolanya, and bring them before the Divine herself in the Chantry of Orlais.



The coast came to view after reaching the top of one particularly large hill, a sight at which Kithrian couldn't help but smile at, the Templar was built for constant battle, not for constant walking. The small dock before him consisted of just two piers and a handful of small vessels roped to the shore, no buildings in sight, which probably meant this dock was just outside of a town that he must have missed along the way. Coming down the steep path and onto the wooden platform, he met with one of the bo'sun present, speaking in a polite yet official tone.

"Hail serrah! I am Kithrian Sevillio, Templar of the Chantry and the Divine's Seeker of Truth, I need passage to Amaranthine and I have means to pay for the trip." Extending a hand to the dirty man as he spoke.

"Well then you have yourself a boat messare, will you be leaving now or should I wait?"

"The sooner the better, I have everything I'll be traveling with here now, and I have deadlines that need to be met." The Templar said as he jumped from dock to boat, landing smoothly despite the rocking of the vessel. The old Bo'sun unknotted the guide-rope from the dock and swiftly hopped to the boat before it drifted away. The small sail was dropped as the the dinghy left the pier, and the gentle motion of the water brought a comfortable drowsiness down on young Kithrian, which he didn't attempt to fight, the rest would bring him to his destination far more quickly anyway, and so the sleeping Templar slowly drifted into the fog of the northern Ferelden gulf.

Hawke listened intently as the woman poured her situation into the conversation, a real problem that obviously couldn't be handled on her own, he was almost moved by her story, feeling the repressed hero within him stir at her plea. He had reached a crossroads at this point, this wasn't the sort of thing he could stick his neck out for, and not to mention that Michaline had risked her life and his by seeking him out, but at the same time, if it was that easy for a random traveler to locate him, then maybe this wasn't the best place to hide, and the two young girls were mages, who would have to grow and live the life of the apostate, a hardship that few would ever understand.

"Your situation is unfortunate indeed, your sisters will have to learn to master their magic before they have any chance of doing harm to themselves, and after, they will be branded Apostate, a title that holds fear and hatred from the less understanding, especially now, few places will be safe for them, and even fewer people would be welcoming. This is a life I know all to well, and one that you couldn't possibly comprehend, to be persecuted as a maleficar, no matter how much good is done, it is never enough... not in the eyes of the ignorant."

Apostate, a sensitive topic for the grizzled mage, had it been anything else, he probably never would have considered the task in the first place, or just killed the girl and forgot the whole thing ever happened. Helping the young mages had to be done, and would be done by him, but he could not risk traveling all the way back to the Freemarches to retrieve the girls, people were already aware of his presence in Denerim, a trip to Starkhaven would certainly bring an army down on him.

"I can help, but know that I cannot, for my own safety, make the long trip to the Freemarches, as there are many, many, people out there who wish to see me hang. If it is possible for you to bring your sisters to me then I can teach them of magic and survival, otherwise there is little I can do, you must understand that I have massive problems of my own as of late, and this is the best offer I can make for you at this point."

The grim mage waited in the alley for her reply, the ideal situation would be possibly taking the girls under his wing until they were old enough to stand on their own, two children would hardly slow him down anyway, but if she couldn't get them to Denerim without him, then he would have to put it out of his mind.

Denerim; if ever there was a better poster city of Ferelden, Laina hadn't heard of it. The city mulled on around her as usual, the distinct smell of wet dog lingering over the crowds who pulsed like a heartbeat as she sat on the roof of Marin's Tavern. She'd followed the Champion as soon as he entered the Market district, and watched him enter the building. When he came out again, followed by a young human woman, she reclined to a laying down position so she wouldn't be seen and listened into their conversation. Her mind raced, hoping this wouldn't be a 'female companion' of Hawke's. Her face reddened at the thought.

"I never denied he was. Indeed, when I said his life-blood, I mean the blood that will one day turn my blade red. If you want to blame someone about me being here, blame Sebastian. He is being hard-pressed to find a Queen, and a heir. My family was a noble one in Starkhaven, even with our dark secret. My mother, two sisters, and brother were all mages. My father, believe it or not, was a templar. I was the only one born without any magical talent. For reasons unknown, Sebastian chose me to be his bride. I refused. He dug into my family, and had my family ordered to be killed." She paused, and Laina silently begged her to continue. "I only got my sisters away in time." Laina heard shifting below, but couldn't see what it was. "I'm not looking for the Champion of Kirkwall, or the Slayer of the Arishok. I'm simply looking for a mage who might be willing to help fellow apostates. If you can take them into your care, my silence will be assured. I swear to you that if you do not, then my silence is assured anyway, as the Starkhaven militia is out looking for me, I know what it is like to be hunted. However, I doubt that will pacify you. If you wish to kill me, then so be it. I'm not a fool, I know your strength Serrah, and frankly, I think I'd have a better chance facing an Archdemon than fighting you." The girl's Starkhaven accent was quite apparent, it almost hurt Laina's ears. Hawke didn't know the lady, so Laina relaxed a bit; and the lady didn't sound interested in Hawke, so she relaxed some more. She was always just a bit on edge.

"Way to go all in on a blind hand..." Laina whispered to the surrounding air. I'd do well to remember this in the future.

"Your situation is unfortunate indeed, your sisters will have to learn to master their magic before they have any chance of doing harm to themselves, and after, they will be branded Apostate, a title that holds fear and hatred from the less understanding, especially now, few places will be safe for them, and even fewer people would be welcoming. This is a life I know all to well, and one that you couldn't possibly comprehend, to be persecuted as a maleficar, no matter how much good is done, it is never enough... not in the eyes of the ignorant."Hawke paused, and though Laina thought of it as dramatic or heroic, it was more akin to catching his breath.

"I can help, but know that I cannot, for my own safety, make the long trip to the Freemarches, as there are many, many, people out there who wish to see me hang. If it is possible for you to bring your sisters to me then I can teach them of magic and survival, otherwise there is little I can do, you must understand that I have massive problems of my own as of late, and this is the best offer I can make for you at this point." Laina's elven ears perked at Hawke's voice, as strong and smooth as ever. It was like music to her ears, sweet music that Laina hadn't heard in years. She couldn't help but smile and think back to the years in Kirkwall she'd spent watching him. Now, the reason was more important, but it was nonetheless exciting to hear his voice.

Laina figured it'd be better to introduce herself after not interrupt the champion's important conversation, and figured she'd make her debut when he was done. In preparation, she kicked her bow and dagger and pack so that it slid of the slightly slanted roof and fell to street level at the far end of the alley. Hopefully it wouldn't hit anyone on the head. Then, rolling thrice over so she could stand without being seen; she stood, stretched, and made her way to the low end of the roof. She crouched and hopped off the ledge catching it behind her and suspending herself now just a few feet from the ground. She dropped and made a hmph as her feet touched down. Looking around to make sure no one took her actions too suspiciously, she calmly walked to her belongings and fixed them to herself. She dusted herself off, and gave herself a complimentary nod before settling in a lean against the edge of the tavern, just out of sight of the Champion and his friend. What would come next was the moment she's looked forward too for nearly 10 years. Again her face reddened at the thought.

"Denerim at last."

Verinn sighed with relief, brushing off what she could of what was apparently blood and dirt on her robes. She looked around as she walked into Ferelden's capital. Sticking to the shadows, she walked towards the nearest tavern she could easily identify, Marin's Tavern. Avoiding what she could of the busy crowd, it was unlike anything she's really ever seen other than the crowd she had seen fleeing a Circle tower in Nevarra. Even then, this crowd wasn't screaming in pain, horror, or disgust. On the most part, atleast, as she ignored the brothels she had passed and the drunkards in the alleyways. Finally making her way to the Tavern, she saw a couple, or at least two people, a man and a woman.

"--If it is possible for you to bring your sisters to me then I can teach them of magic and survival, otherwise there is little I can do, you must understand that I have massive problems of my own as of late, and this is the best offer I can make for you at this point." The man said, it was obvious he was an experienced mage, by the way he held his staff... A... Mage? I should've known when he said he could teach magic, but still. Verinn walked on by, listening in as she sat on a bench not too far away, feigning fatigue as she leaned mostly on her staff, reaching for a small book in her bag, flipping through it, thinking of how that man had seemed familiar. She watched the woman as she hid her face under her hood, she seemed as if she herself had gone through a lot, not like most of the people here in Denerim, taking refuge in the masses of bodies, blending in wouldn't be too hard. But she seemed to have had her share of grief and hatred. Verinn shook her head and looked down at the page she had stopped at, it showed a small map of Kirkwall and the latest news,

"A Champion. My, have I been missing out in a lot." She muttered, mostly to herself, "Goes by the name of... Garrett Hawke. Disappeared too. Nice." She sighed again, letting her staff rest on the bench next to her, started to lean on her hand, her elbow digging into her thigh, "Why do I seem to always miss the important things when hiding out. I'll never solve that one." She clapped the book shut as she continued to watch the two, shoving her book into the satchel at her side, eyeing the man staring back at her, "What?" She asked gruffly, he only edged closer,

"I'll let you in on a secret, that book was made by me." He grinned, He's obviously a nutcase. Verinn thought as she stood up to find a different bench, grabbing her staff, giving the man one more glare before storming off, still in hearing range of the two...

"I can help, but know that I cannot, for my own safety, make the long trip to the Freemarches, as there are many, many, people out there who wish to see me hang. If it is possible for you to bring your sisters to me then I can teach them of magic and survival, otherwise there is little I can do, you must understand that I have massive problems of my own as of late, and this is the best offer I can make for you at this point."

Relife washed over her face, but only for a moment. Then, her mask of calm returning. She gave a small bow. "I thank you, Serrah. Give me half a day, for," She smiled slightly as she stood straight, "They are not in Starkhaven, or even in the Freemarches." She turned, ad gave a quick, low whistle. A pure black Mabari hound came trotting up, wagging his tail. "Hey Meran. We're gonna go get them now, okay?" The mabari gave a low whine. As she headed fro the front of the alleyway, she said, "As I said, half a day. Don't worry, Meran will be able to find you pretty easily." With that, she headed out of Denerim.

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Meran gave a low, heartbroken whine, nudging Michaline's side. Her hand absentmindedly petted him, her face a mask of weariness, loss, and anger. A single, very familiar arrow was in her right hand. The dog led her to a small, run-down inn, and then up the stairs, and stopped at the third door. She knocked, once, and said, "I have come back. I know you don't like loose ends." Even her voice betrayed her emotions. She wasn't sure what she was going to do now. But f Hawke wanted to kill her to assue her silence, she wouldn't blame him. She wouldn't even beg for her life. Will Terani and Haley gone, what did she have to live for?

Ashaad remained focused, even as the Elf agreed to what he said. Although, one of the things the Warden told him brought some confusion to his mind; I owe; Ferelden owes Sten for helping cleanse us of the blight, that's what he had said. Sten was the name the commanders within the beresaad had and Ashaad couldn't for the life of him understand why he would owe anything to them. Ashaad left it to remain a mystery to him for the mean time as he followed the Warden out from the throne room and out from the fortress itself. The sun was shining in the horizon and the air around them was cold and fresh. The Qunari took a deep breath of the fresh air before he proceeded with the Warden towards the outer gates of the Vigil's Keep. It would seem that their next pit-stop was Denerim, even though Ashaad had wished that they'd taken a boat to the Freemarch and travel from there up north to enlist the other people he was looking for. Nonetheless, he made the choice to follow the Grey Warden for now.

"Will we be travelling by horse, boat or foot?" Ashaad asked lightly as they made their way towards the final exit. If they were lucky they would have a couple of horses to spare or even better, a boat. Nevertheless, Ashaad would be glad to walk on foot as well. A long journey is what he choose to do and a long journey he would most certainly endure. Besides, it would be good for his health and a bit exploring was always nice anyway. This was the first time he was in Ferelden and according to the map he had received in Orlais, this land provided many landmarks that he would enjoy to visit.

Orzammar would be a sight to be seen. Ashaad had no problems with the dwarfs and they didn't seem to have a problem with him either or at least not the ones he has meet in his travels. Most explained to him that they had almost the same class-system that the Qunari had, which Ashaad denies, but they have their resemblance. However, in the Qunari society the poor aren't left to stare and if they wish to, they can join the army or any other faction if they have the right qualities. Yet, it's very rare to see a Qunari without anything to do; They are placed in a certain part of society from a very early age and thus, they develope with different views and skills as others might have. Also, while the dwarves believe in their ancestors, the Qunari believes in the Qun which is the right path after all.

The brecilian forest would also be a nice touch seeing as it is said to be very much like the land of Seheron where many Qunaries live as well. It's a dangerous forest, but beauty isn't always nice and calm. It can be dangerous and wild at the same time as it tempts one to journey deep within it and explore its deepest parts. That and the Dalish lived here. Sure, Ashaad has never come to term with their way of living and their way of seeing the rest of the world, but he tried to remain neutral amongst them, only to avoid any fighting. It would be a waste of his time to slay a couple of ignorant elves just because they snapped at him.

Redcliff was known to be a nice little town and a grand castle on top of a peek, However, Ashaad wasn't sure he would ever have the time to visit it nor any of the other places since he had a mission to complete and once that was done he would surely return to Par Vollen again, if he returned at all. It was a slight chance that he and everyone with him would die while preforming something that most might call impossible or a suicidal mission. Ashaad stopped to think abruptly and turned his gaze at the small elf beside him as he awaited a response to his question.

Luke looked up at Ashaad. "We're walking, don't have enough horses to spare with the situation at hand, not to mention if your right about the problems in the north, then they will need to be ready" He pushed off from the fortress, turning around once to look at the wall of the gates. The fortress had been his home for a couple of years now, and it was odd to be out on the road again. Though this was cleared from his mind almost immediately.

The journey wasn't really a long one, the road to Denerim held no problems, thanks to the new recruits to the warden's. The paths were all but free of crime, though wild animals were still to be expected. Upon reaching Denerim he stopped staring up at the gates. "You know, The last time I was here, was after being requested to meet Alistair after his little journey to Kirkwall." He stated looking to Ashaad, "Well all we have to do is make it to the royal palace and I'm sure we can talk Alistair into helping the north." He walked towards the gates only to see two guards seemingly falling all over themselves about a dragon or some sort. He just moved past them, and through the large gates.

He stopped looking back towards the city gates, it had been quite sometime since he had been here; yet most of it looked the same. The people though, seemed alot happier since Alistair took the throne. That and the blight was over for good. He went to turn around and continue to the palace but he stopped dead in his tracks. A familiar person stood off in the distance, a woman that looked just like an old companion that he traveled with during the blight. He proceeded towards her; slow steady steps until he was just a few feet from her. "Morrigan.." He mumbled lightly, before regaining himself "I thought you were gonna stay out of Thedas from now on? What brought you back?" He asked; it was curious seeing her again. Though, as soon as he asked that quetion, he realized the reason had something to with the incident in Kirkwall, but he would wait for her to reply.

Laina had been kicking around a small pebble in dealing with her anxiety when a young human girl, smaller than herself, walked casually by. At first, Laina paid no attention to the girl, until she stopped awkwardly in front of the alley, and sort of stared down at Hawke and the woman. Laina cast a quick glance at the girl, who looked like a dumbstruck Halla. She continued on after the brief moment and sat on a bench on the opposite entry to the ally that Laina was on. It was apparent that the girl was eavesdropping, but she wasn't being very cautious. Laina reached down and picked up the pebble she was toying with.

The new girl took a book from her pack and began flipping through it as if searching for something. Apparently finding it, she stopped and began muttering to herself. Perhaps she was crazy. A denerim man approached her from the side, and she said something to him before standing and moving to another nearby bench. No wait, he's crazy. Laina righted herself.

Thinking back to Hawke, she nearly stumbled past as the woman he'd been talking to left the alley with a Mabari in what seemed like a rush. Laina hadn't caught what she'd said, but assumed the conversation was over. She waited a few seconds for the lady to get out of sight, then lifted herself from the leaning position. She turned towards the market center and tossed the little rock she held up and towards the crowd.

"Oops" she chuckled and turned into the alley, seeing Hawke alone at the end of it. Laina hoped she didn't look to threatening, but she held her hands up as a gesture of goodwill. She stepped towards the Champion, each step taking her closer to him than she'd been in years, she fought back the color in her cheeks, but had the strangest feeling that some got through. Garret Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall, I'm Laina Kunnas, and it's good to finally meet you... Laina ran over the words in her head a thousand times, yet even now when her confidence was at it's peak, approaching him, she lost her words.

"H-Hawke?" She managed to stutter. She didn't know why she questioned him, she knew it was him. "Y-You're Hawke." She felt the nervousness attack her. "But you know that. Silly me. Me. Right. I-I'm Lain...uhh...Laina Kunnas. I've been...Er...Hello?" She let her arms down and sighed in exasperation. She was blowing it, the moment she'd waited for, and she was blowing it. "You wouldn't happen...to be doing anything...erm...exciting, would you? Shit...you must think I'm crazy...I'll just...leave." She let out a breath of defeat and nearly turned to go, but stopped. Hawke hadn't burst her into flames, or worse, rejected her. Her face lit up again. "Can I come with you?" She felt like a child again, but the feeling was ecstatic, and she felt it more in her stomach than she had when she was a kid. She answered for him. "I won't let you down, I promise!"

"I thank you, Serrah. Give me half a day, for they are not in Starkhaven, or even in the Freemarches." Michaline smiled at him as she quickly departed the alleyway, it was strange, going out on a limb for another after such a long time in seclusion, but Hawke knew it was the right thing to do. Had he not been given a chance at life as a young mage, he wouldn't have lived long enough to become The Champion of Kirkwall, or possibly even reach adulthood.

Hawke didn't reply to the woman, he just slid into a seated position and quietly watched her leave, remaining in the dirty alley to be alone with his thoughts. It was odd, he had just made the huge decision of taking children into his custody on the fly, it was impulsive and foolish, and it reminded him of his old self. This day had certainly not turned out as he expected, and he could only hope that it didn't get any stranger than it already had. A gut feeling told him otherwise, his luck had a way of always pulling him into events much larger than himself, the poor unknown Apostate becoming the mighty 'Champion of Kirkwall' was proof enough of that.

The ominous luster of his black plate armor shone in the small ray of sunlight that slipped over the roof of the tavern and into the alleyway. Hawke sat with his back to the wall of the bar, staff sitting horizontal across his lap, His thick black hair was messy and he was sure he needed to trim his unkempt beard a little here and there. Constant travel doesn't often permit one with enough time to clean themselves up, but there was a mirror at the inn, maybe it wouldn't be too much trouble to have a quick rinse and a shave.

The lone mage's thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of an elf at the corner of the bar, raising her hands as she came into view, apparently as a show of good faith. She was far shorter than himself, with brown-ish red hair and a slender figure, all around, easy on the eyes but what caught his attention was the color in her cheeks, which meant she was either flustered or nervous, either way she was hardly what he considered a threat. Hawke remained seated as she approached, but turned a bit to face her as she began to speak.

"H-Hawke?" His name escaped her lips in a small voice, almost as if he were an old friend whom she was surprised to see. So everyone in this town knew who he was and had perfect directions to find him? Somehow he knew today was going to be different, but two separate women visiting him within just minutes of each other, and both identified him as if they had a portrait of him on hand, that... was different. What the elf said next was just as unexpected. "Y-You're Hawke... but you know that. Silly me. Me. Right. I-I'm Lain...uhh...Laina Kunnas. I've been...Er...Hello?" Laina, a nice name, Hawke had always been fond of elven names, but he kept his complement to himself, seeing as Laina was stricken with nervousness. Hawke couldn't help but cock his head to the side in confusion, a lot of things had happened in the past week, but this was by far the most 'interesting.' The pair shared an awkward silence due to the fact that Hawke had absolutely no idea how to reply to what just happened, but when she opened her mouth again it only got worse.

"You wouldn't happen...to be doing anything...erm...exciting, would you? Shit...you must think I'm crazy...I'll just...leave." Holy shit.... His jaw dropped... This just couldn't make any less sense to him, it was like a boulder of confusion was fell right in his lap, and she turned and left him with no idea of what just went on, but then he heard her sigh. It was faint but there, everything clicked, and he felt like a fool for it not being apparent sooner, the girl was infatuated with him, there was no doubt about that. He stood to call her back, but the sound of his pauldron scraping the stone wall was enough, she jolted back towards him, beaming with delight. "Can I come with you? I won't let you down, I promise!" Hawke had made it through the entire conversation without a word, he figured it may be time to speak, maybe alleviate her nervousness.

"Somehow I'm positive it won't make a difference if I say no. As I'm sure you.. 'overheard,' I have kids to take care of, so an extra pair of hands would be helpful." His acceptance seemed to have the girl fighting back tears, there was no way he could say no to her, he just secretly hoped she was up for wiping a few snotty noses because he wasn't sure if he could handle children on his own. "I was just about to clean myself up, I have a room at the inn on the other side of the district... Hurry up before I change my mind." The comforting sounds of his armor rattling resumed as he left the alleyway and made his way back to the mass of people in the center of the market district. Before he entered, he looked back to see if Laina was still behind him, which he wasn't surprised to see she was. She looked at the crowded street and then at him, at which Hawke shook his head... With a huff, he took the elf by the hand and pushed forward, disappearing into the street.

Verinn noticed an Elven woman approach the man, she slowly made her way around a corner, just close enough for her to listen in, If there's nothing to do, at least eavesdrop on another mage. She thought, smirking as she sat down on the ground, flipping through the same books as just a few moments ago, watching as she started a conversation with the man,

"H-Hawke?" Now this really piqued her interest, The Champion of Kirkwall? The one Verinn was just reading about? He mind wandered back to the book, swiftly skimming the contents of the Kirkwall pages, her staff leaning against her shoulder, it's blade stuck against the ground,

Defeating the Arishock single-handed? And defeating the Knight-Commander too? Verinn let out a low whistle, and snapped her attention back to the Elven woman and the man who was apparently Hawke,

"-- I-I'm Lain...uhh...Laina Kunnas. I've been...Er...Hello?" Verinn smiled, listening to the conversation, She seems nice. Not someone who I'd want to watch be brought down to the hand of Aerist or any of the other mages. She shook her head, losing herself in her thoughts of her past again, small glimpses of smiling faces were few but she relished them, like her tenth birthday, when everything seemed to be swell in her family, Aerist didn't show any signs of being a maleficar, and her parents were alive and not forcing her to practice force magic or battle magic. Verinn sighed wistfully, before turning her attention to the two again, she wasn't being careful, but it didn't really matter to her too much, most of the other citizens of Denerim seemed to just cast a blind eye to her anyways, be it because she was muttering to herself or she was a mage she didn't know.

"I was just about to clean myself up, I have a room at the inn on the other side of the district... Hurry up before I change my mind." Hawke said, Verinn obviously missed something as she watched him almost dragging the elf girl to where Verinn supposed Hawke had announced he was going to be and decided, Fort Drakon can wait, I've got some magi to meet. She stood up, grabbed her staff and satchel and followed the two, blending in with the crowd as well...

Morrigan glanced around the massive city and began to slowly walk through the crowd. As she walked she felt a strange tingling up her spine like someone was staring at her but she didn't know from where. Narrowing her golden eyes the feeling grew until he heard a very familiar whisper form behind her. "Morrigan.." Lucas mumbled lightly. Frozen where she was, Morrigan did not know what to say let a lone how to respond. She knew there was a chance of running into someone she knew, but the likely hood of it being Lucas was astronomical. "I thought you were gonna stay out of Thedas from now on? What brought you back?" he asked. Licking her lips Morrigan turned and looked up at the elf.

"I've heard there was some kind of an uprising and the mages have finally grown a set of balls and decided to not be slaves anymore," her answer was louder than it should have been for busy streets like this, but it did not stop her. Folding arms close to her chest like she did when she got defensive. "You look good Lucas. What brings you to Denerim this time? No more blight I presume?" she asked. She wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go, and she knew where she didn't want it to go but it was going to happen at some point. Not here and not now Lucas. That is all I ask, she thought to herself, her golden eyes never wavering from him, trying to read him before he answered.

"Somehow I'm positive it won't make a difference if I say no." You're damn right it won't! Laina was ecstatic. "As I'm sure you.. 'overheard,' I have kids to take care of, so an extra pair of hands would be helpful." She clenched her fists in excitement and she tried to fight back tears of joy. She started to get angry at herself for being so childish, but she couldn't help it. Hawke-the real Hawke-had just said she could come along, with him! She tried to keep calm. "I was just about to clean myself up, I have a room at the inn on the other side of the district... Hurry up before I change my mind." He started out of the alley to the crowds, and Laina was dumbstruck for a moment. Hawke turned back to her, shook his head and took her hand. Laina melted.

The two made their way through the crowded streets, with Hawke leading and Laina being nearly dragged, but she never let go of his hand. She could navigate this crowd much faster by herself, but for the moment, she liked having Hawke there. As he held her hand and dragged her along, she felt like a helpless girl again; and in this instance, she liked it. As she followed, bumped into a few select targets before they reached the Inn, and managed to grab three coinpurses, which she quickly secured to her own belt. Once inside and away from the crowds, she followed Hawke up into his room, and shut the door behind her.

Laina had held his hand up until this point, and at last let go, bringing it back to her side. "You mentioned children?" she looked around the room as if looking for them. "I've never handled children..." Her gaze shifted back to Hawke and she only now realized how tall he was, though she shouldn't have been surprised. Her memory of him years prior must be fading. "That woman you were with...is not...your...?" She couldn't finish; Laina certainly hoped not. She wasn't in the mood to kill young girls with potential, at least not this early in the year.

So it was her, Lucas could only smile shaking his head. "I would assume you would return as soon as mages grew a backbone.." When she asked why he was here he only crossed his arms over his own chest. "No, not a blight to be precise, but the situation in the north is growing worse; and it seems the Qunari have sent for the wardens aid; and as the warden-commander. I'm obliged to offer my help to them." He said calmly, his eyes looking over her, and with a chuckle he shook his head. "Your only going to grow defensive? No hug, no words of welcome?" He smiled that usual sarcastic smirk. "You've not changed Morrigan, your still as cold as you were the day we met"

He couldn't help but tease her, she had returned and at a bad time for Thedas, it was inevitable. He moved alittle closer looking down at her, his eyes studying her face. "How have you fared Morrigan..?" He asked in a calm voice, his sarcastic tone; and smirk no longer present. No now he was just wondering how she had been; while he had to lead men and women as warden's to battle, she had disappeared into the shadows. Thus leaving him alone and with a curious heart on how she was, to see her now; it brought a sense of contentment, as well as fear. The world was falling apart around them, and she choose to come back now of all times, if not for so many battles against darkspawn, tainted creatures; and even dragon's; the urge to open past wounds would surely take hold of his body, but for now; he could only hold his place.

He gently pushed his way through the crowds, going against the flow of bodies for most of the way. Hawke pulled the small elf girl along with little effort, quickly reaching the inn in a matter of minutes. The outside of the inn looked a bit rundown, but it was cheap and it was low-profile, two pluses for a fleeing Apostate. He entered the building and quickly turned up a flight of stairs by the door, giving the tenants on the ground floor little time to see him or his new companion enter. After reaching the top he followed the hallway for a bit, stopping at the last door on the left at the end.

It was at this point he realized he hadn't yet released Laina's hand, feeling a little awkward, he nonchalantly let her go as he unlocked the door. The room beyond was dark, it had only one bed, an old table, a basin of water, and a fireplace. All-in-all, the place was a dump, but it was all he had at the moment, and he doubted the dumbstruck elf cared what he was living in. Hawke entered first, making his way to the fireplace before anything else, his hand illuminated in a small swirling flame as he knelt down and lit the remnants of wood he had burnt the night prior.

The black gauntlet and pauldron fell from his right arm to the floor as he began to unfasten the armor on his upper body. As he peeled the chain mail from his bare back, a strange sensation came over him, Hawke hadn't removed the armor for almost a week, it had almost become a second skin for him, but the cool air on his skin was refreshing. Grabbing a small cloth, he came to the water basin and began to rinse himself in the cold water, washing away the grime of travel, and Laina began to speak once his back was turned.

"You mentioned children?" She paused briefly. "I've never handled children..."

"Neither have I, but you're a woman, and your not tall and intimidating, that should give you a far better chance than me." He stopped for a moment to scrub his face, taking a breath after he finished and drying himself with the small cloth. "Besides, tending to scraped knees and what not is the easy part, I have to teach them how to use their magic without killing themselves, no small feat, especially for someone who has never seen the inside of The Circle."

Hawke pulled a thin knife from under the water basin and splashed a bit of water onto his beard, preparing himself for his first trim in what seemed like ages.

"That woman you were with...is not...your...?" Hawke almost cut a chunk out of his face at the question, shocked that she would even assume such a thing.

"What? No... why would you... nevermind, I just met the woman today and I had thought about killing her for calling me out in public as she did, but her sisters are the mage children I, err.. 'we' will be taking care of... Be careful with your assumptions."

Once he finished, he let the water in the large bowl settled so he could check his reflection. He hadn't lost his touch, now clean with a perfect trim, he turned around to see Laina's reaction, he was rather amused by the girls feelings, he had never had a fan who was so, enamored by him.



Hours passed and the two had carried on much the same, her awkward attempts at conversation being salvaged by Hawke until both had run out of things to talk about, then sat in what he considered a comfortable silence. It didn't last long however, the quietness of the room was broken by the sound of the door knob's turn. Reflex consumed Hawke as he shot up from the edge of the bed and in a blur of movement, he had snatched the dagger from Laina's waist, Jerked the door open, and had the blade pressed to the throat of the intruder. Anger and adrenaline twisted his face as he stared into the eyes of the Starkhaven woman he had spoken to at the bar. Shocked and a little ashamed by his action, he tossed the dagger back onto the bed and stepped out of the way of the door, allowing her entrance to the room.

"I have come back. I know you don't like loose ends." She clutched a white arrow in her right fist, a familiar arrow for one just like it had buried itself into his shoulder the day he left Kirkwall.

"Where are the girls?"

As Hawke asked the simple question, to which he should already know the answer by the arrow she held, despair finaly broke through, and Michaline sank to her knees. Tears threatened to fall, but she pushed them back. "Sebastian Vael has made it very clear that I am not to live a happy person in any sense of the word." She held up the arrow, as if studying it, and then snapped it in half with her hand, letting it fall to the floor. Meran whined, pushing his nose to her cheek, and then looked up at Hawke, his intelligent eyes as if begging fot the man to help his human. "They are dead..." The words were soft, yet heard all over the room by the silence that had befallen them. She had not given the elven woman a glance, she didn't care who she was. Truthfuly, she only wished for two things at the moment. Sebatian's death, and her own.