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Iridescence	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 4697 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Dragon Age and the characters from it do not belong to me. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Dragon Age 2 is owned by Bioware, as with all it's characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game. In case you haven't noticed, I have gone decidedly off-canon. Also, the order of events for things that do happen in the game is a bit off I believe. Hope you don't mind.

"What do you mean, no?" Fenris growled as he slammed his fist down on the table. All day he has been travelling all over Kirkwall, trying to find leads on some form of magick that could help Hawke come back to herself. After a considerable bribe to a Darktown whore, he had the name of a solitary mage that lived out past the Bone Pit, north of Kirkwall. Now, he just needed to bring some of his comrades along to see if this mage was even there, let alone could lend any sort of information.
"I mean exactly that, elf." Varric knew he was milliseconds away from having the furious elf crushing his heart, but he needed to talk some sense into the man before he ran off half-cocked against who knew what with barely any more information than a vague description of a location. Choosing his next words very carefully, he looked into Fenris' eyes as he spoke next. "Look, it's pitch black out there. Going now with only partial and vague descriptions of where this mage supposedly lives will only get us all lost, if not eaten by who knows what. Personally, I'm betting on dragons."
"He's right, Fenris. Go all growl-ly all you want, but we need more information than simply 'North of the Bone Pit'. At least wait until morning."
Fenris turned his fiery glare upon the female pirate. Sitting in the Hanged Man up in Varric's suite, Fenris thought he could just grab one or two of his companions to watch his back in a fight and be able to leave immediately. However, as much as he hated to admit it, they did have a point. That didn't quell his anger or his desire to remove the heads of both the dwarf and the pirate who refused to help him, however. Defeated, he sat back a chair and crossed his arms, piercing both of them with deadly glares.
"So what do you suggest? It took me all day to find someone who knew anything of what I spoke of, and even when I did I lost a good amount of coin to just get what I did. It's been a week, Varric!"
"I know! Trust me, we all have been running down every lead we can. I've called in favors from people who are less sociable than the Darkspawn with no luck. Rivaini here just got back from the docks, and I don't even want to know what she did to get what little information she has."
"Trust me, you don't. Hell, neither do I, and that's saying something." Isabella replied before taking a long swig of her ale.
"You learned of something? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because as soon as you stormed in here you've been barking at us to get our gear together and follow you off into the wilderness!" the piratess countered heatedly.
"So say it now!"
Groaning deeply, Isabella just sat back in her chair, mimicking Fenris' expression by crossing her own arms and covering her face in a scowl.
"No."
"And by Andraste's flaming ass, why not!"
They both looked at him, utter shock and surprise on both of their faces. However, Fenris just again ignored their looks; by this point he felt like he was barely holding on to what little sanity he had left. Isabella had just admitted to knowing something that could help his Hawke, yet she refused to tell him. Again, his markings flared brightly as he ground his teeth together, trying desperately to contain himself. To her credit, no trace of humor was on the woman's face. He wasn't sure if he would be able to keep himself from ripping out her heart if he thought she was getting amusement out of torturing him like this.
"Because before I came in here, I paid a boy to act as runner, telling him to go gather the rest of our band of misfits and tell them to come here. You are right in that it has been a week, and all of us have been so busy chasing our tails that we haven't had a chance to compare notes or to see what the other's have learned."
"I heard Daisy even went back to her clan begging for information, and you know how welcome she is there. Not only that, but the rumor is that Red nearly lost her own head confronting Meredith about going through the Circle's records. That itself should tell you how serious we all are taking this." Varric added. Honestly, he couldn't fault the elf for being so impatient. As soon as he heard Rivaini actually had something to offer, he canceled two of his meetings to make sure they were not interrupted. "Remember, Broody, Hawke is special to all of us. We all were hit hard with what happened, and we are just as eager as you are to get our fearless leader back to cracking heads and fending off the advances of our pirate friend here."
"I don't brood." Fenris paused and shot a glare over to Isabella as she covered up a small laugh with her hand before it escaped fully. Sighing he just shook his head, realizing the dwarf was right. "Forgive me, I know all of you care for Hawke as well. It's just..."
"Hey, no need to explain, my friend. Anybody with eyes knew how you two felt about each other. Most of us are just surprised it took so long."
"I had bets on last spring, but then that nasty business with that Qunari poison happened. For weeks, I didn't think any of us were going to get back to being 100%."
"Well if it isn't Man-Hands- ehh, I mean Aveline!"
Fenris was sure the slip was intentional, and by the chiding look on the guardcaptain's face, it appears she took it that was as well.
"Very funny. But I doubt you gathered us all here so you could remark about my hands, Isabella..." at a mischievous look from the pirate, Aveline shuttered slightly then added "On second thought, never mind."
"Man-hands..." Isabella quietly laughed to herself.
"Whore..."
"Okay, enough ladies." Varric interrupted before things drifted to far from the reason they were gathering here. "Where's Daisy?"
"I saw her just outside Gemlen's old house while on the way here, but she was running back towards the Alienage." Aveline answered. "Probably forgot her staff again." She groaned softly. "I swear if that girl didn't have her head attached..."
"Then the Dread Wolf would come and whisk it away to where I would never find it again! At least, that is what the Keeper always used to tell me whenever I lost something or forgot it behind. Lost many good shoes and gloves like that."
They turned their heads to see the petite Dalish elf walk up towards the suite with her staff in hand, and quite clearly a little out of breath. despite everything, Fenris smiled to himself at the rag-tag band of adventurers he had befriended over the years. Even the bloodmage had her moments when he didn't immediately want to kill her. However, the levity of the reason for their gathering finally descended upon them as Merrill took a seat next to Fenris, something that despite how used he was becoming to her presence, he still did not feel comfortable with. Standing, he walked over to the wall separating this room from the one with Varric's bedchambers and leaned his back against it.
"So, the boy said you had news, Isabella. Is it about Hawke?"
"Actually, no." The look on her companions faces ranged from shock to outright lethality. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "It actually has to do with a certain dwarven servant's son."
"The boy Sandal?" Inquired Merrill, not noticing the annoyance of Aveline and Fenris at her interruptions.
"The very same. From the story that Fenris told us of what happened, it was his stone that allowed And-" Isabella stopped herself at the sudden menacing growl coming from the now glowing elf. "Uhh, that brought Hawke back to life." Isabella corrected herself, mentally chastising herself for bringing up the mage's name in front of Fenris. Ever since Hawke was attacked, whoever was foolish enough to bring Ander's name usually had their life being threatened, or worse - as with the case of one unlucky smuggler - actual death. Even Isabella was certainly not foolish enough to push at that boundary.
"What about him? From what I hear, he's a bit, uhh... Well, touched."
"That may be the case, but even you, Varric, had seen some of the boy's strange abilities. Remember that time in the Deep Roads when he literally froze a raging ogre?" Aveline replied.
"True. That boy does seem to have some oddness to him. I even heard a story about him during the blight, where the Hero of Ferelden came upon him covered in blood alone in a room of full of dead Darkspawn with no real explanation as to what happened."
"Well, it seems our boy's father has been seeking out apocratharies in Lowtown for his son's sleeping problems."
"How does that help us?" Fenris snarled, quickly losing what little patience he had before even entering this accursed tavern.
"Oh, it's not the sleeping problems I found interesting. It was what he spoke of while he dreamed." added Isabella, enjoying far too much the suspense that dragging this out was causing. However, before she ended up losing some vital organ that was necessary for living, she decided to continue on.
"These buggers are never any fun. I know Hawke needs us and all, but does everything need to be so damned serious?" Isabella thought to herself. "Word is the boy's been plagued of dreams of an evil, scary lady with horns on the side of her head and flowing white hair."
"Flemeth."
"Flemeth."
"Asha-bellanar?"
"Witch."
"Yes, yes, I think so, and most definitely." Isabella replied, answering each of her companions in turn. "So far, the dwarf Bodahn has only told me, and that was only because, well, I'm me." she continued on with a sly smile.
"Oh, please don't tell me you slept with him!" Aveline remarked a bit too loudly.
"Maker no! Well, the thought did cross my mind, however he told me outright when I cornered him about the rumors I heard."
"Thank the Maker!" Aveline replied under her breath, but not quite quiet enough for Varric not to hear, however.
"I don't know if I should take offence at that, Red. There has been many a human who has fallen for dwarven charm. It seems the Maker made us just the right for,... well, for more creative uses for our tongues than just talking..." replied Varric, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Isabella barked out a laugh as both Aveline and Merrill turned a nice shade of pink.
"No, I didn't mean that! It's just-"
"Will you stop this squabbling! We need to get Hawke back, but if you all wish to banter and speak of each other's sex lives, then I will do it myself!" Immediately the voices quieted down and became more serious as Fenris started for the stairs leading down to main bar area and out the door.
"Wait, Fenris! That's unfair!" Aveline called back as she caught up with the angry elf.
"No, Aveline! What is not fair is that Hawke has regained her life, yet is still lost to us. That for years she has looked after each one of us, coming to us in our times of need and helping in ways only she could. That after every battle we were in, she refused to be treated until she made sure that we were all well again. That no matter how angry we got at her or each other, she always supported us and brought us back together. That even though she lost her whole family, she was willing to stand up and defend those she cared about against an angry spirit! That is what is unfair, Aveline. That is what matters. Now, instead of doing the same, you all are bickering and making jokes while she lays unmoving in her dead mother's room! She doesn't even have the dignity to be in her own room until her new bed arrives and the mess is cleaned up." Fenris contemptuously snarled. Eyes blazing with fury and helplessness, he stared at the red-headed guard for a few moments while she remained speechless.
"You're right." Aveline finally muttered, stepping back slightly. "Maker forgive us, but I think we have all been busy thinking about how hard we have been working this past week that we again failed to realize just how much Hawke has done for us all. Personally, if it wasn't for her, I would probably of not be Captain of the Guard or even be married to Donnic right now. Flames, I would probably be dead on the roads of Lothering if not for her and her family."
"I would probably still be locked up in the Deep Roads. It was by Andraste's grace that we defeated that Rock Golem and found a way out. If not for her, I would of ended up as a tasty meal for that thing." added Varric as he joined them.
"I would be completely alone, now. Probably wandering out in the wild after I had to leave my clan. Creators know I couldn't stay there, and I had no idea how to live in a city. She not only brought me to Kirkwall, but found me a place to live, helped me move in and decorate, and even visited me a lot when she was not busy. I owe her my life."
"We all do, Daisy. More times over than I can count."
Suddenly, all eyes went to Isabella as she stood against a wall examining her nails. Looking up and catching all their glares, she shrugged and tried to act as if it none of it bothered her.
"What? She may have helped you all, but I am still missing my relic and have Castillon still wanting me dead."
"Isabella..." The name being more of warning than a question as Aveline crossed her arms and gave the pirate one of her classic glares.
"Oh fine! She may have helped me out a few times in my search..." Isabella replied, refusing to meet the red-headed woman's intense glaze. After pausing a moment, and still not having the woman's glare lift, she added "Okay, and yes there was that time I almost got her killed when I got the times on that drop mixed up... and there was that time that one of the men I ripped off at cards cornered me outside the Hanged Man with a bunch of his cronies and Hawke ended up getting an arrow in the shoulder..."
"Isabella!" Aveline yelled, clearly getting very pissed at the pirate's evasiveness.
"What do you want me to say? That she's my best friend? That despite how much I annoy her or try to get her into bed, she has always been there for me whenever I needed a shoulder to lean on or just a partner in one of my idiotic schemes? Okay, yes! Now can we move on?" Her revelation didn't seem to faze anyone for a few seconds, then they all smiled at her like it was somehow a set up.
"Told you even she thought they were idiotic. You owe me twenty silvers Daisy."
"Oh! But I was saving that for a "welcome home" present for Hawke!" responded Merrill as she looked down with a defeated look in her eyes.
"Oh, by the Maker! You all suck!" Isabella heatedly replied as she pushed past the chuckling group towards the exit for the Hanged Man. Even Fenris had to hide a slight smile at what happened.
"Oh, are we leaving now? Where are we going?"
Again, the group groaned in response to the small elf's obvious questions. Aveline walked to her side and placed Merrill's arm on her own, and started walking towards the door with the others.
However, just as Aveline placed her hand on the door, Merrill uttered a quiet elven swear before running back up to Varric's suite. Before anyone could question her, however, she yelled back the answer.
"Forgot my staff again!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

****Somewhere in the Fade****
Hawke opened her eyes slowly, unsure of where she was or why everything looked so...off. There was no other word she could think of as to how her surroundings looked to her as her gaze took in the high walls and carpeted floor around her. Everything looked so hazy, almost like she was looking through a slightly dirty piece of glass. Groaning from her aching muscles, she sat up and tried to remember what happened. It looked like she was in the Chantry back in Lothering, back before the blight came and destroyed everything.
"There you are! Mother is looking for you! She, father and Carver are waiting for us in the front. Come on you! The Reverend Mother will be beginning soon!"
Hawke's mouth gaped at the little girl in front of her, dressed in a nice blue dress and holding a stuffed doll made to look like Andraste. It looked exactly like the one that their father gave to her little sister when she was five!
"B-Bethany?"
Unable to move or even blink lest the small girl disappear, Hawke just stared at the vision in front of her. Could it really be her sister? Absently, Hawke reached forward and grabbed the girl, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Bethany! By the Maker! Is it really you?" laughed Hawke despite the protests of the little girl she clung to.
"Iris! Let go of me! I'm going to tell mother if you don't let go of me!" The tiny Bethany struggled in vain against Hawke for a moment longer before she was finally released and was able to gasp for breath. "What has gotten into you, sister?"
Hawke just laughed again and jumped to her feet. She was no longer wearing her finery, or even her armor. Instead she was wearing a very pretty blue dress that matched her sister's. Twirling her sister around, Hawke couldn't help but giggle and smile broadly, even while the patrons of the service turned to cast an odd look at her. She ignored their glances and stares however as her sister's words sank in. "Father is here? Carver too?"
"Of course silly! Now, let's hurry before mother gets cross at both of us and makes us clean out the barn again!" Bethany huffed before stomping back down the aisle between the pews of the Chantry. Hawke couldn't help but laugh again at the cute way her sister's face scrunched up whenever she was angry, however the thought of seeing her family again quickly took over her and sent Hawke running down the aisle to where her loved ones waited.
"Mother! Father! Carver!" Hawke didn't even care about all the strange looks her outburst brought as she ran up to her family, grabbing them all in a tight hug.
"By the Maker, Iris! What has gotten into you?"
"I told you mum, she's acting stranger than old Vethrine down by the creek lately!" Carver added between deep breaths when he was finally released. Again, all Hawke could seem to do was laugh and giggle like a stone touched dwarf.
"I'm fine, honestly. I am just so happy to see you."
"You just saw us a moment ago. I swear you are growing up to be just like your father." Hawke's mother replied, trying hard - yet failing horribly - to hide the half smile from her lips.
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean, Lea?" scoffed her father half-heartedly as he wrapped his arms around his wife's midsection.
"Ahem!" The sound was stern, and they all turned to see the Reverend Mother looking down at them from the altar with a very angry look on her face. "If would you all care to sit down, we shall begin with the Chant; that is if there isn't something more important going on?"
The look the Mother gave was sure to even send the heartiest of demons running for cover. Each one of the Hawke family removed the smiles from their faces and quickly took their seats in the pews as the Reverend Mother gave a curt nod to the Chanter beside her. Even after being scolded by the scariest person in all of Lothering - at least to most of the children in the small town they lived in - Hawke happiness didn't seem to be dampened at all. For the rest of the service, even as she sang along with the hymns and repeated the Chant with her family, her stomach fluttered with joy as she stood with the very people she thought she would never see again.
- 4
- 5
- 6
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Iridescence