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The Night of the Hawke	By : DarkWolves Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 20087 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age and make no money by writing this.

Chapter List
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(Unfortunately no sex in this one, which kind of makes my warning at the end of the last one seem a bit unnecessary I know. However all cautions I gave regarding unsavoury subject matter will come into effect in the next chapter)

Chapter 2: The Hawke and the Knight Commander

The political stability of Kirkwall had drastically altered in only a few short years. After the Qunari had launched their attempted uprising to claim the city as their own, and the reigning Viscount had been slain by the Arishoks hand, the Templars were quick to capitalize upon the ensuing power vacuum to instigate their own political agenda within Kirkwall. With Knight Commander Meredith leading the charge the Templars knights began a systematic purge to expose any unsanctioned magic user within the city.

While most of the cities citizens were content to allow the Templars to establish complete political dominance over Kirkwall, seeing the stability they brought combined with their on-going mission to root out all dangerous Mages as a positive development after enduring such a long period of instability and fear. The apostate community on the other hand, composed of those Magi not sanctioned by the Circle, their families and those within the Templar ranks who shared their cause, were forced underground and quickly turned to a strategy of guerrilla warfare and other tactics in an effort to break the Templars iron hold over the city. But as the years continued the Templars hold over the city only tightened and the Mages became ever more desperate, some even daring to turn to the dark arts they so despised, seeing such abilities as their only defence against Templar oppression. This only served to confirm Meredith’s suspicions, giving the Templars ample justification to tighten the hold over the struggling Mages ever more.

With each side caught within an unbreakable stalemate they each turned to seek the Champions support for their cause. While the Champion believed that order must be maintained if the city were to survive, the lengths at which the Templars were willing to go in search of ‘Blood Mages’ led her to suspect the Knight Commanders true motives. However the revelation that so many Mages had chosen to betray their principals to utilize the forbidden art, however well their intentions, showed a clear taint within the faction which would have to be removed if claims of their innocence were to be heeded. Surely it would not be long before the Champion was once again forced to stand before the people and decide the fate of the city of Kirkwall.

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“How had it all come to this?” it was a question which Brianna Hawke found herself asking ever more frequently as the weeks passed. Sitting at her desk in the master bedroom of the Hawke estate nestled into the bosom of Kirkwall’s Hightown district, writing another letter to her sister Bethany who had been drafted into the Circle of Magi several years before. It pained her to write these letters each week, knowing that any personal developments and topics of news would first be pawed over by an agent of the Templars searching for any code or sign of insurrection before the letter entered her sisters’ hand. But still she continued writing each week, the few heavily self-censored replies which trickled back weighing heavily upon her heart because she knew that she had been the one to put her sister in that position. If she had only been quicker to return from the expedition, if she had taken Bethany with her into the Deep Roads, if she had never gone on the blasted trip in the first place all this could-

“Mistress?” a voice withdrew Brianna from her internal interrogation. Glancing up from her half written letter she found her Elven attendant Orana standing at the door to her chambers, quietly waiting in silence to be acknowledged.

“Yes…” Hawke said hoarsely, clearing her throat she tried again. “Yes Orana, what is it?”

“Mistress” Orana continued. “You have a visitor”

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Brianna stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the living room of her estate. In the main room beneath, basking in the warm glow of the fireplace stood the defacto ruler of Kirkwall and commanding officer of the Templar Order regulating the city, Knight Commander Meredith. Hawke steeled herself for the coming exchange, although she had met with the Knight Commander on many previous occasions the current political situation within the city demanded absolute neutrality from their Champion lest her mere endorsement of either faction be sufficient to tip the scales of power and lead to the outbreak of open conflict. The fact that the Knight Commander had chosen to visit her estate personally did not help to reconcile her anxiety.

“Knight Commander Meredith” Brianna stepped down the stairs into the main hall to greet her visitor. “I am surprised to see you anywhere without an escort of Templar Knights”

Meredith turned to face the lady of the estate. “I know how to handle myself, Champion. I am here because I have business I wish to discuss with you” Meredith glanced at Orana, watching the young elf serving girl standing meekly beside her mistress, contempt burning in her eyes for the Elven servant. “May we speak with, in private?” Meredith requested.

“Of course” she replied. “Please, follow me”

Brianna Hawke lead the Templar leader into her private chambers at the rear of the Hawke Estate, closing the door silently behind her. Commander Meredith spoke first. “As you know, Hawke, Kirkwall finds itself at a critical juncture. You know of the threat the Mages pose to the order of Kirkwall; I believe you have experience with them…” Meredith noticed the robe, Merrill’s Dalish garments, hanging from the dresser on the far side of the room. “Personally” Meredith turned back to face Hawke. “You are becoming an influential figure in Kirkwall. You are a true hero of the people, a Ferelden woman no less, who defended the city from the Qunari uprising, the woman who climbed from obscurity to save an entire city. Someone like that could be a great ally to the Templar Order”

“Or an enemy” Hawke knew that conducting business with the Knight Commander was much like lending the hen house keys to the Coyote, it could only end in a bloody mess.

“I see that your companion is not here” Meredith swiftly changed the subject, a disturbing shift of tone from city politics to personal small talk.

“Merrill spends a lot of time in the Alienage these days” Hawke replied. “Sometimes she enjoys the company of her own kind”

“You know, Hawke” Meredith continued. “There are many among Hightown society who would not look favourably upon living alongside an elf, let alone humans consorting with Elven blood mages. I am afraid it will not do well for your reputation amongst society’s betters”

“I was never one for social gatherings anyway” Hawke smiled.

“I have received reports from the city guard regarding several complaints made against your Elven companion” once again the Knight Commander proved herself capable of shifting topic at a moment’s notice without warning. “Charges include attempting unauthorized entry into the Viscounts bath chamber and the Chantry airing cupboard. Accusations that she was observed picking flowers from noblemen’s gardens and taunting their Mabari guard dogs have also been reported”

“Merrill is quite the free spirit” Hawke giggled. “She can be difficult to influence sometimes”

“A lioness should not comfort and protect a wounded Impala, she should slit its throat with her own claws and devour it at her leisure” Meredith’s colourful metaphor did little to settle Hawkes wavering belief in the sincerity of her words. “Your sister is an apostate already brought within the protection of the Circle, you know what the Templar Order demands of any unsanctioned Mage” the memory of the day Bethany was taken to the Circle remained freshly scarred in her mind, the fact that Meredith was willing to resurface that traumatic memory in an effort to influence her demonstrated the Knight Commanders ruthless determination in search of her objective. “I doubt that the Order will be so lenient towards an Elven Blood Mage, without your support there is little I can do to dissuade the Order” the clear undercurrent of a threat did little to dissuade Hawke from her response.

“To think I believed that you ARE the Templar Order” Hawke responded boldly.

“I am the right hand of the Chantry. I merely carry out the Makers will, and I pray that you too shall see the truth in his words” Meredith carried that strange mixture of unshakable confidence accompanied by a thin underlying touch of sincerity that she could almost convince you that she truly believed her own bullshit. “However it is clear that you need time to come to your decision. I shall leave you in peace, I believe you know where you may find me if you wish to discuss the matter further. Farewell Serah Hawke” Meredith turned on her heel as though that truly were to be the end of the exchange. “You must be sure to keep a watchful eye over your companion if she insists on visiting the Alienage” Hawkes entire body stiffened in response at the words. “The alleyways of Lowtown between Hightown and the Elven quarter have proven themselves dangerous in the past, especially to the young women of the city. Even the Chantry itself has proven vulnerable to the dark ravages-”

Hawke reacted purely on instinct, reaching out she clasped her hand around Meredith’s forearm, stopping her in her step. “If I assist the Templar Order in apprehending genuine blood mages” Brianna clearly emphasised the term ‘genuine’, knowing full well that any magic user could be considered to be conspiring with demonic powers by Templar standards. “Then you will personally ensure that my sister Bethany, Merrill and any other of my companions will come to no harm?”

Meredith turned to face Brianna, a sinister smile creasing across her lips. “You have my word, Champion of Kirkwall”
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The Night of the Hawke