A Long Way to Go (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Something to Prove

In the long run, it mattered very little whether Hawke had killed the wyvern or someone else had, but naturally it had been important to her to do so. She appeared almost to feel as if she had something to prove to this collection of nobles, not one of whom had half her grace or intelligence, and that bothered Fenris.

An outcast for many reasons, he remained on the edge of the crowd during the interminable banquet that followed the hunt, listening to the murmurs around him. Tallis had cautioned them not to attempt to gather information about this gem she claimed to be in search of, which seemed very odd to Fenris. If it was such an important gem, Prosper would be more likely to boast about it than to keep it secret.

He said as much to Hawke when she came by his corner, a champagne glass in her hand. Her eyes were bright, her color high.

"You are not bothered by the fact that this jewel doesn't seem to exist?" He glanced at her, then found Tallis in the crowd, moving amongst them unnoticed. Most elves were servants to the very rich, and taking notice of one shameful.

Hawke shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time someone lied to me about what they were looking for."

"Isabela was a different case."

"You only say that because she's your friend. Tallis could be your friend someday."

Fenris snorted. "Unlikely. Once she has what she wants, we will never see her again. I guarantee it."

"Does it matter?"

"Only if getting her what she wants puts you in danger. Hawke, why are we doing this?"

"Why not?" She looked at him with those too-bright eyes, and he caught her hand and took the champagne glass out of it.

"Are you afraid to stop fighting, Evelyn?"

"I—" For a moment, he thought she was going to talk to him, tell him what she was thinking, but then she pulled away. "Of course not! This seemed like it might be fun." She stroked his cheek. "I know this part isn't such fun for you, but I'll make it up to you later." Her hand moved down over his shoulder and chest. "I should mingle."

"You do that," he said, resigned. Once they got out of this Orlesian nightmare, they would have a real talk, as he had promised her before they left Kirkwall.

"Tallis says after the party, when everyone's in a drunken sleep or otherwise ... distracted, is the right time to go after the gem."

"Tallis would know."

Hawke looked at him, her blue eyes faintly sorrowful. "I'm sorry I made you come. I didn't realize ..." She looked around them. "I didn't think how like your past this would be. I wouldn't have come if I'd realized what it would be like for you."

"I know you wouldn't have." Disregarding the partygoers around them, he drew her close, appreciating her honesty and her openness.

Varric drifted out of the crowd in their direction. "You two are attracting attention."

Reluctantly, Hawke drew herself out of Fenris's arms. "I suppose I really should mingle." She frowned at the assemblage. "How much longer do you expect this to go, Varric?"

He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. People are starting to drift away, so, I don't know, maybe another hour or so before we can 'retire'?"

"I only wish we were," Fenris muttered.

"Look on the bright side, Broody. We get this done tonight, we're back on our way to Kirkwall again tomorrow."

"When have things ever gone that smoothly?" Fenris watched Tallis move through the crowd. She seemed to be hovering as near to Duke Prosper as she could without drawing attention to herself. "Hawke, much as it pains me to suggest it, perhaps you could go have a discussion with Duke Prosper and see if you can determine more thoroughly just what it is we are here for."

She glanced at him, startled. "You really do want to get out of here. Fine, I'll go chat up the Duke."

Hawke glided away across the room, putting on her best noble smile for the Duke. Behind her, Fenris watched with a bitter taste in his mouth, hating to have to use her beauty as leverage.

"She'll be all right, you know," Varric said.

"Will she? Will she ever be able to put her sword down and just ... live?"

"I don't think she knows how, and it scares the shit out of her. I can't blame her," Varric said, patting Bianca. "But you have her, and I have my writing, and Rivaini has Sunshine and the sea ..."

"She has me."

"I know. And so does she. But think about it, Broody. The two of you met fighting, you got together fighting, you stayed apart fighting, you even got married fighting. You want her to stop fighting? You have to show her what there is in life other than that."

Fenris looked down at the dwarf, amazed as he so often was by Varric's total understanding of people and his complete inability to use that understanding to improve his own life. Or unwillingness, which amounted to the same thing in the long run.

"Ah, our mighty hunter!" Duke Prosper called as Hawke approached him. "Champion, Champion, you have had quite a day." The looseness of his speech indicated he had had a fair amount to drink.

"It was exciting, I'll give it that."

"Exciting, yes! To hunt the wyvern on its own ground is to tempt fate ... but the prize!" Somewhere deep in the castle behind him, a great roar sounded.

"What was that?" Hawke asked, her hand immediately, and fruitlessly, going for the sword she had left in her room.

"Leopold. My pet wyvern. A most magnificent beast. Would you like to meet him, Serah Hawke? Perhaps to ... touch him?"

"He sounds temperamental," Hawke said coolly. "Does he fetch? Or play dead?"

There was a faint smile on the Duke's face, an acknowledgement of her adroitness. "Alas, he seems to think it is our duty to amuse him. Is that not always the way with pets?"

"Do you keep anything special around to amuse him with?" Hawke asked, but the conversation was disrupted as an elven servant stumbled over her foot, stomping on it hard, and spilling red wine all over her tunic.

As the servant backed away, apologizing, Hawke saw that it was Tallis, and her suspicions were raised all over again by the clear implication that the elf didn't want her to know whatever Duke Prosper might know about this gem. They would have to be very cautious.

"Ah, Hawke, do you require assistance with your wet clothes?" Duke Prosper asked.

"My husband is just over there," she said to him, pointing to Fenris and watching red spots of anger rise to the Duke's cheeks at her bluntness. "I'm sure he can give me any assistance I might desire."

"By all means, I will leave you to your ... amusements," the Duke said, his lip curling in disgust.

Hawke nodded at him, and moved off to tell Fenris it was time to head back to their room. Maybe they could get in some more entertaining activities before Tallis came to get them for the night's more nefarious plans. That should put him in a better mood.