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Category: Games » Dragon Age
Author: LeNimph
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Romance/Humor
Chapters: 5, Words: 7,943

Chapter 1: A Meeting in the Chantry

"I miss the Chantry in Lothering. Sister Leliana told the best stories." -Bethany
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"Sister wake up; it's time to start getting ready for our visit to the Chantry," the younger Hawke chimed with enthusiasm while the other groaned and rolled over, covering herself with her pillow and knocking her Mabari companion off the bed.

"It's already Sunday? Why can't the Maker make a house call?" The oldest sibling mumbled into her pillow in her typical sarcastic manner. Bethany shook her head, "Makers breath, is there anything you take seriously at all?"

"Yeah sure… books, sword play, oh and sex," Hawke jested.

"Sister!" Bethany flushed in outrage and then called out, "Mother! Sister won't get up!"

"Tattle tale…"

Leandra Hawke came to the sisters' room, and glanced over at Briar Hawke lying in bed who had no intention of moving. It was hopeless.

"Your sister is an adult, if she wants to waste the rest of her life in bed…"

"Thank you so much mother, I knew you would understand." Hawke smirked while fluffing her pillow then attempted to fall back into sleep.

Bethany and Leandra both sighed with disapproval and went back to the dining room to have breakfast with Carver. "Where is sister?" he asked.

"Your sister decided to sleep in today." Leandra said, irritated.

"That isn't fair why does she get to sleep in?" Carver groaned.

"Your sister is an adult and she's capable of making her own decisions regarding the Maker…"

"Just because she's 2 years older than us and I'm about to leave for the gaurd…" Carver grumbled but stopped complaining when Leandra gave him a glare. After they finished their breakfast (scrambled eggs on toast, a Sunday treat) they made their way to the Lothering Chantry. Bethany in particular was always fond of the Chantry growing up, and even when she became "blessed" with magic she insisted on still going. Leandra was initially concerned but her father made the convincing argument that you always keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and they agreed that once Bethany had the training to properly hide her magic she could return.

There was nothing especially epic about the Lothering Chantry, no particularly grand statues like in Kirkwall, but compared to the rest of Lothering it certainly had an air of nobility to it. Perhaps that's why Bethany felt drawn to the stained glass windows, velvet tapestries, and Andraste's striking figure connecting them to the Maker.

While finding a pew Carver pointed out a new Sister standing in the choir and whispered to Bethany, "Too bad Briar isn't here; she would rant about how such a good looking woman was wasting away in the Chantry." Bethany giggled imagining the face her sister would have made and glanced at the new Sister again. She had stunning chin length red hair, contrasting deep blue eyes, and when she sang Bethany not only found herself entranced by her incredible voice but also the movement of her full luscious lips. "She is pretty," the apostate mumbled under her breath.

"Let's be polite and introduce ourselves to the new Sister." Their mother suggested when the service was over. Carver flushed and quickly objected, "But mother… my knees are sore."

"You can go home if you want Carver." Carver smiled with a boyish glee and quickly walked out of the Chantry. Bethany doubted that he was going to actually go home.

"I think your brother is courting someone do you have any idea who?" Bethany shook her head; she was much closer to her older sister then her twin brother and Carver was always jealous that Bethany knew father better as a mage so they didn't get along too well.

As they approached the Reverend Mother and the new Sister, Bethany found herself getting the nervous. She blamed it on a Templar's stare.

"Hello Reverend Mother," Leandra greated.

"Hello Mrs. Hawke, may I introduce you to our new sister Leliana she just came to us as a request from the Denerim chantry.

"Hello," Leliana smiled, waved and gave a quick glance at Bethany. Seeing her lips curl into a smile set the apostate's cheeks aflame.

"Bethany are you ok? You look like your burning up!" Leandra inquired for her daughter, worried.

"I'm fine mother I just think I inhaled too much of the incense and my casings feel kind of tight… I think I need to go outside." Bethany gave another glance at Leliana only to soon regret it as it made her chest feel heavy while she walked her way to the outside of the chantry.

"Wait Bethany… I should go check on her excuse me Rev-" Leandra was cut off.

"Leliana can you go check on the girl? I want to talk to Mrs. Hawke for a moment."

"Of course Reverend Mother," Leliana nodded and followed Bethany out of the chantry while the Reverand Mother began questioning the where abouts of Leandra's oldest daughter.

"Maker calm yourself Bethany," she told herself catching her breath and sitting down on a bench inside of the Chantry gates in the rose bushed garden. Bethany eyed the Templar at the Chantry gate for a moment thinking about how easy it was to keep hidden all of her life as a mage. Too easy…

"Are you ok?" Leliana asked the mage before sitting next to her. Bethany was relatively calm now and nodded, successfully fighting off the blush on her ears from hearing Leliana's voice. "I thought you were going to have a fainting spell… it's quite common in Orlais."

"Is that where you're from?" Bethany asked. Leliana nodded; too happy at the chance to talk about Orlais.

"Yes and fashion is taken so seriously in Orlais that a woman would rather faint once a week then let loose her corset. It's a bit ridiculous when I think about it… but the dresses are to die for."

Bethany giggled, "That's umm… interesting. I've never been outside of Ferelden." Bethany looked down at her hands and began to play with her gloves. She was certain that inside she had just inhaled too much incense and it made her chest feel heavy. She was not infatuated she told herself.

"Not once?" Leliana asked. Bethany shook her head. "But it is nice and calm here in Lothering though it's a much more relaxed pace then Val Royeaux"

"What's Val Royeaux like?" Bethany asked. Leliana smiled and practically squealed at the chance to talk about her former home. Majority of the other Sisters weren't interested in her homesick tales and it was wonderful to know that someone found her interesting, especially a young beautiful girl like Bethany. But before she could start another Sister came to them.

"Sorry to interrupt but Leliana it's your turn to help with the lunch," the drabber Sister informed Leliana.

"Oh," Leliana frowned , "I guess I'll have to tell you some other time… if you still want to know I mean."

"Of course," Bethany said smiling while standing up and stealing another glance at the red head, noticing the braid in her hair, "I'll come back in a few days."

"Well umm… see you later then… Bethany was it?"

"Yes… bye Sister Leliana… I should go check on my mother."
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"So how was it?" Bethany's older sister asked only half interested, reading a book in her bed while Bethany sat across the room on her bed, "anything new in the house of the Maker."

"Actually there's a new Sister from Orlais."

"Orlais?" Hawke's interest was piqued.

"Oh yes , she's very friendly and beautiful, and she has the most enchanting voice…"

Briar Hawke looked across the room at her younger sister with a raised brow and a smirk. "If I didn't know any better Bethany I would say you were smitten."

Bethany blushed, "I am not!"

Chapter 2: Clever Tongues

"I'm uncomfortable around Chantry sisters. All because of that red-haired trickster in Lothering." -Aveline
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  "Bleh I hate cabbage. Why do we even waste coin on it?" Briar Hawke scoffed at the merchant's goods.

  "Oh sister it isn't so bad, besides Mr. Roberts grows the best cabbage."

  The grocer smiled and Hawke smirked at Bethany kissing ass to her best friend's father. Bethany leaned over to pick the best heads when Hawke noticed a not so familiar face across the bridge towards the chantry.

  "Hey Bethany… is that the new sister you were talking to me about?" Hawke said, pointing off to the red head in the distance. Bethany blushed.

  "Why yes that looks like sister Leliana." Bethany put the cabbage in their pack and began to walk in the opposite direction.

  "Where are you going, I want to go meet this new Sister you kept rambling about like she was the Maker's chosen." Bethany blushed realizing that her sister's only interest in meeting the former bard was to tease her endlessly and tried to think of an excuse to avoid it.

  "But what about the templars?" she asked.

  "Oh please Bethany! As if the templars don't keep you from waking me up early on Sunday," Hawke said while grabbing her sister's arm, "You're going to introduce me… now."

  Briar tugged Bethany over the Lothering bridge to see Leliana telling a tale of Andraste to a group of families,

  "Andraste continued to become closer to the Maker, so close that many began to call her the Maker's Bride and Maferath, her husband, grew jealous, because no man can compete with a god. They say he would toss and turn at night while Andraste slept with absolute content in the arms of the Maker."

  "Because there is no better lay then the Maker himself," Hawke interrupted with her typical jesting tone and smirk, making the not so chaste Sister Leliana giggle.

  "Oh Maker's breath Briar there's kids here." Bethany gasped hiding her face in shame.

  "Mommy what's a lay?"

  "Nothing important Timmy, but it's time to go home anyway." a mother said while glaring at Hawke before taking her child's hand.

  "But I want to know what happens next," the child whined.

"You know what happens next. Say good bye to sister Leliana."

  The children waved goodbye and the families dispersed leaving a traumatized Bethany and her grinning sister alone with the former bard.

  "I'm sorry about my sister she's-"

  "Clever of the tongue…" Leliana cooed with a raised brow.

  "Very…" Hawke suggestively enthused. Leliana blushed and laughed nervously. Bethany elbowed her older sister in the rib and glared at her with a puckered brow.

  "Leliana this is my older sister Briar," she practically growled.

  "Oh please… call me Hawke," she interjected, "and I must say I didn't know that Chantry Sisters were allowed to have a sense of humor." Leliana smiled.

  "How are you Leliana?" Bethany asked trying to clear the air.

  "I'm fine; I'm really beginning to like it here in Lothering… in the Chantry. It's quiet here, peaceful." Leliana smiled at Bethany, "How are you?"

  "I'm great," Bethany grinned . Hawke laughed at her sister.

  "What?" Bethany asked.

  "Oh it's nothing… I just haven't seen you smile like that for a very long time," Hawke said. Leliana cleared her throat.

  "Well it was nice seeing you again Bethany, and meeting you Hawke, but I actually need to go inside…"

  "Oh…" Bethany slightly pouted and glanced at the red heads hands that were anxiously fumbling around each other.

  "But I'll be out later if you want to come back," Leliana added.

  "It's Bethany's turn to wash today." Briar quickly said before Bethany could respond and make any promises. There was no way she was going to be stuck with her sister's chores.

   "Oh… well another time then," Leliana sighed before walking back to the Chantry.

  "You're incredibly inappropriate! I hope you realize that!" Bethany scorned her sister.

  "Someone's mad I flirted with their chantry lover," Hawke joked, "don't worry it won't happen again, well, not unless she complements my tongue again. If you want I have some books you can read that can teach you a few things. I have this really good one about a pirate…"

  "Dear maker you're horrible." Bethany flushed.
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  "I'm so glad you're back Wesley," a strong looking redheaded woman told a dark haired templar. The man smiled and glanced at his wife's freckles.

  "I am too," he smiled, "and as soon as I talk to the reverend Mother I can join you at home."

  Aveline smiled and took her husband's hand in hers. They stood content in the warm glow of a reunion until she saw her husband's eyes wander from her own.

  "Huh I've never seen that sister before…" Wesley said eyeing up Leliana as she walked past them in the chantry. Knowing Wesley's weakness for redheads Aveline gave him a scowl. He did not notice however as he was still focusing on the new Sister who was now talking to another.

  "I wonder who she is," he murmured with a hint of infatuation, much to Aveline's dismay, her cheeks turning crimson in jealousy.

  Leliana felt a gaze and stared over Wesley. She quickly felt ashamed and grew an incredible urge to run after seeing Aveline's cold stare.

  "Wesley…" Aveline grumbled, her hand slowly clenching tighter around her husband's hand.        "I think I'll meet you at home… I suddenly have the urge to… not kill something."

  "Is something wrong… OW my hand! Maker! Aveline let go you're hurting me."

  "Serves you right…."
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  It was nightfall by the time Bethany completed her chores. So the young apostate collapsed on her bed and rolled over to see her sister on the other side of the room reading by candle light, completely fixated.

  "What in Maker's name are you reading?" the younger sister asked with a raised brow.

  "Yo-ho Yo-ho, A Pirate's Night for Me…" Briar mumbled.

  Bethany didn't dare ask what it was about and got out of bed to start changing into her sleep shirt.

  "I'm kind of jealous of Carver," Bethany sighed when she was done changing and climbed onto her bed.

  "Because he gets to get out of Lothering?" Briar replied still focused on her book.

  "Yeah, and I don't understand why you don't go with him," she said pulling her knees against her chest and leaning against the wall.

  "And leave you and mom here unprotected so the templars can get you? Are you crazy? I know I always complain but… you two are what's important to me." Hawke smiled and turned the page to her book.

  "Sister…" Bethany's heart warmed up from her sister's generosity and silently forgave her for today's delinquency with a smile. Hawke took her focus away from the codex for a second and looked over at her younger sister and smirked.

  "Besides… one day… once you get married and mom stops bugging me about it, I'm going to go run off and find myself a pirate and have wild lesbian-" Hawke got cut off by a wild pillow thrown by a crazed apostate, smacking across her face with the fluffed sting of encased feathers.

  "BRIAR!" the younger sister huffed from other side of the room.

  "Wow, Bethany, I'm impressed. That actually hurt."

Chapter 3: Dreams of Orlesian Girls

"Remember: no girl will ever do what I did for you behind Barlin's shed that time. You just think about that!" -Letter to Carver from Peaches
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  Briar woke up from smelly mabari breath to found her room barely lit by rising sun and Bethany still asleep across the wood paneled room. "Bah stupid dog waking me up," she muttered sitting up to stare at the sleeping mabari, its leg twitching from running in a dream. She played with the sleeping dogs ears, pulling and twisting them until she heard an inaudible moan coming from across the room. She looked over at Bethany to see her sister roll over clinging onto her pillow as if were a lover and let out another moan. "Maker this is awkward," the older Hawke said blushing and trying to ignore the fact that her sister was in the same room getting off in a dream.

  Bethany woke up with a yawn and stretched in her typical manner until she glanced over at Briar who was leaning against her elbows and looking at her with an almost lethal smirk. Bethany blushed, her sister knew!

  "You slept very well I take it?" The older Hawked teased. Bethany looked the other way towards the wall, absolutely devastated.

  "Not really," she lied.

  "What did you dream about?" Hawke asked while tucking her hair behind her ear and still giving her sister her trademark smirk.

  "I had a nightmare."

  "I guess that would explain the groaning…" Hawke chuckled. Bethany pulled her knees to her chest and hid her head in shame.

  "I didn't say anything, did I?" the embarrassed apostate mumbled against her leg.

  "Oh Leliana…" Briar cleared her throat before continuing, "Why does thy curtains not match thy drapes?"

  "I did not say such a thing sister! They did ma-" Bethany covered her mouth with both of her hands, stopping herself from further humiliation. Her older sister burst out in laughter on the other side of the room.

  "So my suspicions are confirmed, you really do have a crush on a chantry sister. Oh don't worry I won't tell a soul," she managed to gasp out through her giggles.

  "Maker's breath sister… Swear you won't tell anyone!" Bethany threatened with a fiery glare that stunned Hawke into remembering her sister had magical powers. Hawke drew an X across her breast with her right hand and holding her left hand up to oath, "Cross my heart and hope to die."

  Feeling sorry for teasing her little sister Briar agreed to join her family for the day's chantry service although she had little choice for it was the anniversary of Andraste's death and a sacred day for many people of Thedas. The Hawke however did not try to hide her discomfort and would often whisper to herself in discontent for the preached words.
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  "There are some who question the will of the Maker and Andraste's wisdom. If he truly cared for her why did he not intervene while she was being set aflame? Why did he not prove himself and saved her then? Because the Maker is testing our faith, and if we do not spread the word of Andraste to all the corners of the world he will never return to us…"

  Briar Hawke rolled her eyes and scooted to her side in hope she could sneak out of the chantry. She was not lucky however as she felt a pinch at her wrist and saw her mother glaring at her from the side of her eye. She took her place again with a groan, and ran her fingers through her hair in boredom. She tuned out the words and watched Bethany fawn over at Leliana in a distance. There was no doubt the chantry sister was pretty, and Briar herself also found herself quite entranced when the Orlesian spoke, but there was something else about her. She was different then the other members of the chantry. She wasn't uptight, pompous, nor self righteous. But there was still something else she couldn't put her finger on, a sense of vulnerability and a need to shelter herself.

  When the service was over Bethany tugged her older sister's hand, instructing her to stay.

  "Are you two staying here?" Leandra asked when she noticed that her daughters were not following her.

  "Yes mother, we're going to stay and listen to Leliana tell stories."

  "You mean with the little children?" Hawke scoffed, "Do you do this every Sunday?"

  "Only when Leliana…"

  Briar rolled her eyes and gave into her little sister's will. She followed Bethany sat down next to her while an 8 year pulled himself onto the chair next to her. Briar was tired and as Leliana began to speak more about Andraste and the Maker she began to feel drowsy. She laid her head against the wall and stared at her sister's oh so evident swooning smile before her eyelids closed and she fell asleep.
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  "I can't believe my sister fell asleep," Bethany told Leliana as the children left the library. Leliana giggled and walked over to the sleeping Hawke.

  "Should we wake her up? Oh or maybe we can leave her there to have someone else find her?" Leliana joked smiling at Bethany. Bethany giggled.

  "My sister waking up to find herself alone in the Chantry? Oh that is so… priceless. Let's do it," she sniggered.

  The two girls walked out of the chantry and in the garden with holding their urges to laugh. They sat down on a bench together next to the rose bushes. "It's pretty today." Leliana said looking up at the clouds while tucking her hair behind her ear. Bethany nodded to agree and looked down at her hands fumbling in her lap.

  "The strangest thing happened to me the other day," Leliana began to say, "I was walking around the outskirts of town and I saw your brother, what's his name, I forgot?"

  "Carver…" Bethany grumbled.

  "Ah yes… I saw him with that girl… umm Peaches?"

  "What were they doing?" Bethany innocently inquired.

  "They were together."

  "Uhg. That is sooooo disgusting! My brother, outside?" Bethany gagged. Leliana giggled at Bethany's reaction.

  "What's gross about it? Don't you have a boyfriend?"

  Bethany blushed while Leliana looked at her with a curious smile. She shared eye contact with the former bard and her blue eyes before returning her gaze back to her lap shaking her head in embarrassment.

  "What? Why not? You're so pretty." Leliana cooed, leaning closer to Bethany.

  "The boys in Lothering are gross… and I'm just not interested in those kind of things," she lied feeling Leliana's breath on her ear, and smelling the orange and red roses behind her.

  "So you've never been with anyone?"

  Bethany shook her head profusely, making her hair shake, while Leliana smiled and plucked the orange rose behind Bethany and gently handed it to the apostate with a friendly smile.

  "You know in Orlais it wouldn't matter if you couldn't find a boy you fancy."

  "Really, why?

  "Because there are plenty of pretty girls in Orlais. Ferelden is so… conservative." Bethany was speechless. "Would it shock you Bethany if I said I've been with girls?"

  "Bethany!" They both looked up to see an angry Hawke stomping toward them. Hawke took her sister hand and pulled her up from a bench. "Why didn't you wake me up? I just got lectured by the reverend mother for proper sleeping etiquette. Apparently it is rude and unladylike to drool while one sleeps." Bethany giggled.

  "Oh you think it's funny? You're not in place to laugh at me sister considering what I know!" Bethany frowned and looked over at Leliana who was also sharing a guilty frown.

  "I'm sorry Leliana but we're going home," Hawke said with ruffled feathers.

Chapter 4: Ostagar Tumbles

"That beast in Lothering killed one of my best friends. I hate Qunari."-Bethany
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  Hawke and Carver sat next to each other on a log watching the other soldiers of King Calian's army spar to pass the time. Hawke grew very impatient watching the other fighters and began to day dream about her mother and sister in Lothering. She didn't like waiting for this so-called blight, nor did she understand why they were fighting darkspawn when that was clearly a job for Grey Wardens as the legends told. And what if things went array here, she would have to get back to Lothering…

  "How do you think Bethany and mother are doing back in Lothering?" she asked Carver who was far too into watching the fights.

  "Oh I'm sure they're doing fine sister. Besides according to the King the fight will be easy and we'll be back at home in no time."

  "Yeah that isn't very likely…" Brair shook her head when she realized her brother wasn't paying attention to her as he stood up to cheer on his friend who was barely managing to keep his own. The friend was struggling to make a comeback against the man swinging at him with a large stone hammer. Eventually he managed to deflect the hammer's blow with his shield and match the opponent at death point. The other man yielded while Carvers friend smiled and gave him a thumbs up before starring over at Briar.

  "You're Carver's sister right? How about me and you go for a quick tumble?" the blonde man asked her suggestively.

  "I'm not interested," she scoffed, "in someone who isn't going to last longer than a minute with me." Hawke heard a light chuckle behind her and turned her head to see a woman of her age, dressed in a light leather armor of fine taste and light embellishment that made it clear she was from a higher lineage. She smiled down at her, her black messy bob framing the tattoo that crossed her blue eye and opposite cheek. Hawke was quite taken in and thought she was adorable.

  "I'll take as long as you want me to." The woman cooed as Hawke stood up to face her.

  "Oh really? Well if you really want to I can use a wooden sword since you're so lightly cladded…" Hawke teased and smirked at the smaller woman while eyeing up her toned body

  The woman laughed at Hawke for underestimating her, "No there's no need, well, not right now anyway," she winked at Hawke.

  Hawke's eyes glossed over as her brain slowly processed the dark-haired woman's suggestion. Hawke blushed and reached over for her greatsword suddenly becoming nervous as the woman walked over to the sparring field. Hawke took her place in front of her and when both were ready she charged at her only to swing and miss the light footed girl.

  "She's faster than I thought she would be…" Hawke mumbled as she turned around to find her opponent.

  "Hey isn't that the new Grey Warden recruit?" Carver's friend mumbled to him. Carver shrugged and continued to watch his sister fight her match.

  "I've never seen my sister struggle like this before…" Carver said with a smile admiring the dark haired woman. "She must be incredibly skilled… it's likely she is the Grey Warden recruit then," he said fighting off a blush.

  Frustrated, Brair went after the rogue in an attempt to hit her full force with her pommel but the rogue reached out with her right leg and tripped the warrior. Briar groaned when she hit the floor in defeat as she got back up to up swiftly to face the dark haired woman, "that was fun, sort of, until I fell."

  "I'm impressed on how easy it is for you to handle that blade… most women couldn't handle something so… big."

  "It's all in the hips really," Hawke said with a smirk; extending her arm out for a handshake, "I'm Hawke by the way."

  "I'm Dana," she said shaking her hand, "and may I say it's been a pleasure to meet you."

  "Oh the pleasure is all mine," Hawke suggestively cooed back.

  Dana smiled and pulled the warrior toward her and whispered into her ear, "If you want to go another round tonight meet me by the kennels at midnight."

  Hawke said nothing in return and just smiled while watching the girl walk away, hips in full swing. Dana bumped into Carver as he came walking towards his sister and gave no apology. Hawke lost sight of her as Carver began to bombard her with questions.

  "Who was that woman? How does it feel to get beaten for once?" Carver said with a sadistic smile.

  "Oh please Carver she tripped me and I was afraid of hurting her…" Briar denied her defeat.

  "Whatever sister, that woman was incredible." He sighed in complete admiration, "What did she whisper to you?"

  "Oh nothing just… girl stuff."

  It became apparent to Briar that Carver was daydreaming about the very same things that were on her mind so she snarled at her brother, "Let's just go get something to drink."

  "Sure," he mumbled while looking down for his coin purse. He fumbled while looking in his pockets, "I must have left my coins back in the tent."

  "You didn't, you just bought those pair of boots this morning and we haven't gone back to the tent since then… you must have dropped it somewhere... idiot."
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  Leandra looked over at her daughter lying in bed with her sisters Mabari. Bethany had been in the same spot for a large number of days ever since what happened with the Qunari. She wouldn't come to the table to eat, and only left the spot to use the restroom.

  "Bethany… I know you're upset but I think you would feel better if you went outside. It's a nice day today."

  Bethany grumbled and rolled over to face the wall and putting her back to her mother. Leandra walked over to the bed and placed her hand on Bethany's shoulder.

  "Why? They were just helping that thing and it killed them. It killed them! I watched them heal and take of him and then he killed them in cold blood… That thing is a monster."

  "It's been locked away now-"

  "They should just kill it," Bethany said. Leandra was taken aback by the severity in Bethany's voice and left the room with a sigh. Bethany sat up after her mother left and looked out the window to see Lothering on a bright sunny day. She decided maybe it was a good idea to go outside but she would have to take a bath first. Bethany walked over to their bathroom and poured the filled pitchers of water into the wooden tub. She dipped her finger in the water and warmed it up with her magic before undressing and sitting in the tub. She contemplated for a moment about what she could do in town. Maybe go buy a book about magic or perhaps go see Sister Leliana. She dipped her head in the water and started washing her dark hair before her mother called out to her.

  "Bethany there's someone here to see you."

  "I'm taking a bath mother. Who is it?"

  "The chantry sister Leliana."

  "Oh I'll be out in a second then."

  True to her word Bethany quickly rinsed off her hair and patted herself dry with a towel before getting dressed. She waved to her mother before she walked outside to see Leliana sitting on a nearby bench. She sat next to her.

  "I just wanted to give my condolences about your friend." Leliana said, "I grew concerned after you weren't at Sunday's service since you usually show up… your mother told me about how upset you were…"

  Bethany sighed, "I hope that beast get what it deserves."

  Leliana frowned, "What he did was terrible I will not deny it, but the poor thing has been in that cage for almost 2 weeks now without food or water. That is far more worse than death."

  "It deserves it." Bethany mumbled

  "No one deserves to be tortured; I hate it when people say that. They have no idea what it feels like and how much it hurts!" Leliana objected swiftly to Bethany's inconsiderate tone.

  "And how would you kn-" Bethany stopped talking back when she saw the frown on Leliana's face. Leliana stood up and wiped her eye with her wrist declaring there was something in it.

  "I should get back to the chantry now" Leliana quickly choked out. Bethany called out for her to stay but she kept walking away.
*************************

  Hawke snuck out of her tent careful not to wake up her neighbors. Not used to walking by moonlight she made her way to the kennels mostly by listening to the Mabari and their insistant barking. After passing a few dozing guards, while trying her best to look casual and in place, she saw Dana waiting with her arms and legs crossed leaning against the Kennel fence. The rogue smirked at Hawke and walked slowly towards her, grabbing the other girl's wrist in a playful manner.

  "I was starting to think you weren't coming," the Cousland whispered.

  "I probably shouldn't have considering you stole my brother's coin, in fact that's the only reason I'm here to reclaim my family's fortune," Hawke teased wrapping her arm around the Warden recruit's waist.

  "Your family's fortune…" The recruit mumbled under her breath looking at the floor.

  "Oh I'm sorry did I say something wrong?" Hawke asked surprised by the other girls sudden gloom.

  Dana shook her head and wrapped her arms around Hawke's neck and pulled her in for unchaste kiss. Hawke, incredibly happy to end her long and current dry spell, deepened the kiss, pinning the dark haired tattooed woman against the fence, intertwining their tongues and eagerly swapping saliva. It didn't matter that she didn't know who the woman was, what she did or where she hailed from, all that did matter was that she had a name and an eager beautiful body and even that was more than enough.

  Dana pulled away from Hawke's chapped lips with a nip before breathing out, "I'd give you back your brother's coin but I already spent it on a new backpack."

  "That must be some fancy backpack," Hawke murmured into her ear, gently nipping at it while lowering her hands to grab her arse.

  "It is. It's in my tent, want to see for yourself?" she groaned as Hawke squeezed her.

  "That's not the only thing of yours I want to see."

Chapter 5: An Ending Outside the Chantry

"Why are you looking at us? We've been running since Ostagar!" -Carver
*************************

"Are you limping?" Carver asked his sister as they marched into position at the gates of Ostagar behind a field of King Calian soldiers, all standing with an uneasy slump and nervous twitches.

"Huh? No-" Briar flushed while planting her greatsword into the ground to lean against.

"Then what have you done to yourself. You've been walking bow legged ever since the other night."

"Don't worry about it. I might have pulled a muscle the other day. I'm not used to all this action you know it's not like Lothering is a hard place to guard." Hawke muttered looking away from her brother.

"I just want to make sure you're ok… we are about to fight darkspawn you know."

"We'll get through this easily," Briar boasted with a smile, pointing her fist towards her little brother, "after all we're Hawke's and nothing gets in our way." Carver smiled and reciprocated his sisters fist bump. Their confidence quickly dropped though as the men and woman around them began to murmur about the howls and shrieking they could hear in the distance. Briar looked over at her brother to see him with a nervous scowl, tip-toeing while trying to look over the crowd as the arrows were fired over their heads and out into the distance. The mabari began their charge and their howls came to an unsettling silence was not typical of the power of a mabari charge. Brair became nervous and grabbed her brother's shoulder.

"Carver whatever happens I want you to stay near me, if you stay we can get back home to see mother and sister," she said and Carver quickly nodded before they were ordered to fight.

The two Hawkes charged off with the others, trying their best to join in with the ecstatic battle cries but it became evident to soon that this was not a battle to be won. The darkspawn kept coming and screaming, releasing their breathes of bile. King Calian's men could not with stand the numbers and when Hawke noticed there where no longer any men or women fighting alongside her, she called out for Carver, using her last bit of energy to call out for him at the tops of her lungs. When there was no response she became fearful and desperate and called out again as her greats sword slid through the tainted monsters. She groaned thinking she could not possibly go home without him, her mother's face would be filled with too much despair to bare. She called out for him again.

"Sister!"

Hawke ginned as her little brother ran out toward her and they both quickly nodded at each other in understanding. They ran out of the battlefield in the direction towards Lothering as quickly as their bodies would allow.

When they were far and out of the warfare Briar glanced back one more time, watching the flames of ruin in in the distance, but then something caught her golden eyes, an enormous winged mass landing on the tower of Ostager.

"Carver, Carver did you see that bird it was huge?" she gasped.

"What in the Maker's name are you talking about sister? I hope you haven't obtained that horrible taint." Carver said, annoyed at her irritating contrived words as he continued in the direction to Lothering.

Hawke looked back in disbelief to see the bird flying off into the wilds with something in its two large talons.

"It's there!" she said, pulling her brother's shoulder in vain only for it to be gone when he looked.

"Giant birds… I think you've gone crazy."
*************************

Leliana looked over at the rosebush once more. She knew it was some sort of sign from the Maker and these women laughed at her efforts to want to do something for the world. She would take no more of it.

She swung her tote bag over her shoulder and leaned forward to smell the lone blossomed scarlet flower one last time before she made her way into town to find out more information about the blight. She brought the sweet smelling thing to her nose and against her lips just as she heard out a familiar voice from behind her.

"Leliana…"

"Bethany," she responded with a half-hearted grin at the younger dark haired girl, glancing at the cleavage revealing outfit she was wearing, taken aback for a moment. Bethany blushed and looked down at the floor.

"I am so sorry about the other day. I was incredibly rude, presumptuous, and I did in no way mean to hurt your feelings." Bethany apologized to the best of her ability while looking away from Leliana, while the bard smiled at the way she nervously fumbled.

"It's okay," the bard cooed walking towards Bethany and then lightly cupping her face so the apostate would face her, " I know what happened was horrible and it's just best we not talk about it again, I don't want to upset you." Bethany nodded and blushed at the older woman's touch. Her eyes struggled to focus away from Leliana's lips and noticed Leliana's tote.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, trying to suppress a frown. Leliana nodded.

"I'm leaving the chantry and staying in town for a few days until I find someone to travel with."

"Why?"

Leliana shrugged thinking of an excuse, not wanting to talk about her vision, "Because, I see the refugees and all the people who have started to flee from the blight… I feel the need to do something…"

"Why do you have to leave Lothering then? There are plenty of people who need you here. I don't understand" Bethany said, saddened.

"The Chantry will help those in need who decide to stay in Lothering, I need to fight this at the source." Leliana sighed.

"But that's what my sister and brother are doing in Ostagar, I don't see why you have to leave Lothering."

"Lothering will be fine without me Bethany, there is nothing I can do it help it."

Running out of reasons to question Leliana, Bethany became distraught at the thought of her leaving. She was the only friend she had left here and… and she just couldn't let her go like this she liked her far too much to be without her. With a narrowed, anxious brow she looked over at the red head, admiring her icy blue eyes and pink full lips. She liked her far too much…

"Are you ok?" Leliana asked with concern. Bethany shook her head. She was not ok, she was being over whelmed by emotions she had never felt before, that were confusing her beyond her will, and she could not let her go without doing something…

Bethany kissed Leliana.

Bethany did not know what she was doing but that did not matter because Leliana did and bitter sweetly helped the inexperienced girl with her lips and tongue. For a brief passionate moment, she pulled the buxom young girl against her, her hands trailing down Bethany's lower back and beyond her hip, but when she grasped the bard became flooded by memories of Marjolaine and pulled away.

"I can't do this." Leliana whimpered out, about to pull out of the apostate's eager embrace.

"Yes, you can. I want you to…" Bethany mumbled into Leliana's nape.

"I am not the person you think I am… you deserve better than me."

"I don't care." Bethany said trying to hold back a tear, "do you not like me?"

"No, it's not that I don't like you because I like you too and under normal circumstances, I would reciprocate your feelings... I really would… but I need to go." Bethany shook her head in disbelief that she was being rejected and said nothing. Leliana leaned in and kissed Bethany on the forehead before whispering, "Goodbye," and walking away.

Bethany stood there for a moment, too hurt to know what to do, and decided to make her way home.

"Bethany there you are! I had a feeling you would be here." Briar called out, quickly walking over to her little sister. Who had just left the chantry gates.

"We need to go mother and Carver are waiting for us at home."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want any of us to be eaten alive by darkspawn, that's why." Briar morbidly chuckled while she took her little sisters hand and dragged her away from Lothering.

Description
Category: Games » Dragon Age
Author: LeNimph
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Romance/Humor
Chapters: 5, Words: 7,943

Chapter 1: A Meeting in the Chantry

"I miss the Chantry in Lothering. Sister Leliana told the best stories." -Bethany
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"Sister wake up; it's time to start getting ready for our visit to the Chantry," the younger Hawke chimed with enthusiasm while the other groaned and rolled over, covering herself with her pillow and knocking her Mabari companion off the bed.

"It's already Sunday? Why can't the Maker make a house call?" The oldest sibling mumbled into her pillow in her typical sarcastic manner. Bethany shook her head, "Makers breath, is there anything you take seriously at all?"

"Yeah sure… books, sword play, oh and sex," Hawke jested.

"Sister!" Bethany flushed in outrage and then called out, "Mother! Sister won't get up!"

"Tattle tale…"

Leandra Hawke came to the sisters' room, and glanced over at Briar Hawke lying in bed who had no intention of moving. It was hopeless.

"Your sister is an adult, if she wants to waste the rest of her life in bed…"

"Thank you so much mother, I knew you would understand." Hawke smirked while fluffing her pillow then attempted to fall back into sleep.

Bethany and Leandra both sighed with disapproval and went back to the dining room to have breakfast with Carver. "Where is sister?" he asked.

"Your sister decided to sleep in today." Leandra said, irritated.

"That isn't fair why does she get to sleep in?" Carver groaned.

"Your sister is an adult and she's capable of making her own decisions regarding the Maker…"

"Just because she's 2 years older than us and I'm about to leave for the gaurd…" Carver grumbled but stopped complaining when Leandra gave him a glare. After they finished their breakfast (scrambled eggs on toast, a Sunday treat) they made their way to the Lothering Chantry. Bethany in particular was always fond of the Chantry growing up, and even when she became "blessed" with magic she insisted on still going. Leandra was initially concerned but her father made the convincing argument that you always keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and they agreed that once Bethany had the training to properly hide her magic she could return.

There was nothing especially epic about the Lothering Chantry, no particularly grand statues like in Kirkwall, but compared to the rest of Lothering it certainly had an air of nobility to it. Perhaps that's why Bethany felt drawn to the stained glass windows, velvet tapestries, and Andraste's striking figure connecting them to the Maker.

While finding a pew Carver pointed out a new Sister standing in the choir and whispered to Bethany, "Too bad Briar isn't here; she would rant about how such a good looking woman was wasting away in the Chantry." Bethany giggled imagining the face her sister would have made and glanced at the new Sister again. She had stunning chin length red hair, contrasting deep blue eyes, and when she sang Bethany not only found herself entranced by her incredible voice but also the movement of her full luscious lips. "She is pretty," the apostate mumbled under her breath.

"Let's be polite and introduce ourselves to the new Sister." Their mother suggested when the service was over. Carver flushed and quickly objected, "But mother… my knees are sore."

"You can go home if you want Carver." Carver smiled with a boyish glee and quickly walked out of the Chantry. Bethany doubted that he was going to actually go home.

"I think your brother is courting someone do you have any idea who?" Bethany shook her head; she was much closer to her older sister then her twin brother and Carver was always jealous that Bethany knew father better as a mage so they didn't get along too well.

As they approached the Reverend Mother and the new Sister, Bethany found herself getting the nervous. She blamed it on a Templar's stare.

"Hello Reverend Mother," Leandra greated.

"Hello Mrs. Hawke, may I introduce you to our new sister Leliana she just came to us as a request from the Denerim chantry.

"Hello," Leliana smiled, waved and gave a quick glance at Bethany. Seeing her lips curl into a smile set the apostate's cheeks aflame.

"Bethany are you ok? You look like your burning up!" Leandra inquired for her daughter, worried.

"I'm fine mother I just think I inhaled too much of the incense and my casings feel kind of tight… I think I need to go outside." Bethany gave another glance at Leliana only to soon regret it as it made her chest feel heavy while she walked her way to the outside of the chantry.

"Wait Bethany… I should go check on her excuse me Rev-" Leandra was cut off.

"Leliana can you go check on the girl? I want to talk to Mrs. Hawke for a moment."

"Of course Reverend Mother," Leliana nodded and followed Bethany out of the chantry while the Reverand Mother began questioning the where abouts of Leandra's oldest daughter.

"Maker calm yourself Bethany," she told herself catching her breath and sitting down on a bench inside of the Chantry gates in the rose bushed garden. Bethany eyed the Templar at the Chantry gate for a moment thinking about how easy it was to keep hidden all of her life as a mage. Too easy…

"Are you ok?" Leliana asked the mage before sitting next to her. Bethany was relatively calm now and nodded, successfully fighting off the blush on her ears from hearing Leliana's voice. "I thought you were going to have a fainting spell… it's quite common in Orlais."

"Is that where you're from?" Bethany asked. Leliana nodded; too happy at the chance to talk about Orlais.

"Yes and fashion is taken so seriously in Orlais that a woman would rather faint once a week then let loose her corset. It's a bit ridiculous when I think about it… but the dresses are to die for."

Bethany giggled, "That's umm… interesting. I've never been outside of Ferelden." Bethany looked down at her hands and began to play with her gloves. She was certain that inside she had just inhaled too much incense and it made her chest feel heavy. She was not infatuated she told herself.

"Not once?" Leliana asked. Bethany shook her head. "But it is nice and calm here in Lothering though it's a much more relaxed pace then Val Royeaux"

"What's Val Royeaux like?" Bethany asked. Leliana smiled and practically squealed at the chance to talk about her former home. Majority of the other Sisters weren't interested in her homesick tales and it was wonderful to know that someone found her interesting, especially a young beautiful girl like Bethany. But before she could start another Sister came to them.

"Sorry to interrupt but Leliana it's your turn to help with the lunch," the drabber Sister informed Leliana.

"Oh," Leliana frowned , "I guess I'll have to tell you some other time… if you still want to know I mean."

"Of course," Bethany said smiling while standing up and stealing another glance at the red head, noticing the braid in her hair, "I'll come back in a few days."

"Well umm… see you later then… Bethany was it?"

"Yes… bye Sister Leliana… I should go check on my mother."
*************************

"So how was it?" Bethany's older sister asked only half interested, reading a book in her bed while Bethany sat across the room on her bed, "anything new in the house of the Maker."

"Actually there's a new Sister from Orlais."

"Orlais?" Hawke's interest was piqued.

"Oh yes , she's very friendly and beautiful, and she has the most enchanting voice…"

Briar Hawke looked across the room at her younger sister with a raised brow and a smirk. "If I didn't know any better Bethany I would say you were smitten."

Bethany blushed, "I am not!"

Chapter 2: Clever Tongues

"I'm uncomfortable around Chantry sisters. All because of that red-haired trickster in Lothering." -Aveline
*************************

  "Bleh I hate cabbage. Why do we even waste coin on it?" Briar Hawke scoffed at the merchant's goods.

  "Oh sister it isn't so bad, besides Mr. Roberts grows the best cabbage."

  The grocer smiled and Hawke smirked at Bethany kissing ass to her best friend's father. Bethany leaned over to pick the best heads when Hawke noticed a not so familiar face across the bridge towards the chantry.

  "Hey Bethany… is that the new sister you were talking to me about?" Hawke said, pointing off to the red head in the distance. Bethany blushed.

  "Why yes that looks like sister Leliana." Bethany put the cabbage in their pack and began to walk in the opposite direction.

  "Where are you going, I want to go meet this new Sister you kept rambling about like she was the Maker's chosen." Bethany blushed realizing that her sister's only interest in meeting the former bard was to tease her endlessly and tried to think of an excuse to avoid it.

  "But what about the templars?" she asked.

  "Oh please Bethany! As if the templars don't keep you from waking me up early on Sunday," Hawke said while grabbing her sister's arm, "You're going to introduce me… now."

  Briar tugged Bethany over the Lothering bridge to see Leliana telling a tale of Andraste to a group of families,

  "Andraste continued to become closer to the Maker, so close that many began to call her the Maker's Bride and Maferath, her husband, grew jealous, because no man can compete with a god. They say he would toss and turn at night while Andraste slept with absolute content in the arms of the Maker."

  "Because there is no better lay then the Maker himself," Hawke interrupted with her typical jesting tone and smirk, making the not so chaste Sister Leliana giggle.

  "Oh Maker's breath Briar there's kids here." Bethany gasped hiding her face in shame.

  "Mommy what's a lay?"

  "Nothing important Timmy, but it's time to go home anyway." a mother said while glaring at Hawke before taking her child's hand.

  "But I want to know what happens next," the child whined.

"You know what happens next. Say good bye to sister Leliana."

  The children waved goodbye and the families dispersed leaving a traumatized Bethany and her grinning sister alone with the former bard.

  "I'm sorry about my sister she's-"

  "Clever of the tongue…" Leliana cooed with a raised brow.

  "Very…" Hawke suggestively enthused. Leliana blushed and laughed nervously. Bethany elbowed her older sister in the rib and glared at her with a puckered brow.

  "Leliana this is my older sister Briar," she practically growled.

  "Oh please… call me Hawke," she interjected, "and I must say I didn't know that Chantry Sisters were allowed to have a sense of humor." Leliana smiled.

  "How are you Leliana?" Bethany asked trying to clear the air.

  "I'm fine; I'm really beginning to like it here in Lothering… in the Chantry. It's quiet here, peaceful." Leliana smiled at Bethany, "How are you?"

  "I'm great," Bethany grinned . Hawke laughed at her sister.

  "What?" Bethany asked.

  "Oh it's nothing… I just haven't seen you smile like that for a very long time," Hawke said. Leliana cleared her throat.

  "Well it was nice seeing you again Bethany, and meeting you Hawke, but I actually need to go inside…"

  "Oh…" Bethany slightly pouted and glanced at the red heads hands that were anxiously fumbling around each other.

  "But I'll be out later if you want to come back," Leliana added.

  "It's Bethany's turn to wash today." Briar quickly said before Bethany could respond and make any promises. There was no way she was going to be stuck with her sister's chores.

   "Oh… well another time then," Leliana sighed before walking back to the Chantry.

  "You're incredibly inappropriate! I hope you realize that!" Bethany scorned her sister.

  "Someone's mad I flirted with their chantry lover," Hawke joked, "don't worry it won't happen again, well, not unless she complements my tongue again. If you want I have some books you can read that can teach you a few things. I have this really good one about a pirate…"

  "Dear maker you're horrible." Bethany flushed.
*************************

  "I'm so glad you're back Wesley," a strong looking redheaded woman told a dark haired templar. The man smiled and glanced at his wife's freckles.

  "I am too," he smiled, "and as soon as I talk to the reverend Mother I can join you at home."

  Aveline smiled and took her husband's hand in hers. They stood content in the warm glow of a reunion until she saw her husband's eyes wander from her own.

  "Huh I've never seen that sister before…" Wesley said eyeing up Leliana as she walked past them in the chantry. Knowing Wesley's weakness for redheads Aveline gave him a scowl. He did not notice however as he was still focusing on the new Sister who was now talking to another.

  "I wonder who she is," he murmured with a hint of infatuation, much to Aveline's dismay, her cheeks turning crimson in jealousy.

  Leliana felt a gaze and stared over Wesley. She quickly felt ashamed and grew an incredible urge to run after seeing Aveline's cold stare.

  "Wesley…" Aveline grumbled, her hand slowly clenching tighter around her husband's hand.        "I think I'll meet you at home… I suddenly have the urge to… not kill something."

  "Is something wrong… OW my hand! Maker! Aveline let go you're hurting me."

  "Serves you right…."
*************************
  It was nightfall by the time Bethany completed her chores. So the young apostate collapsed on her bed and rolled over to see her sister on the other side of the room reading by candle light, completely fixated.

  "What in Maker's name are you reading?" the younger sister asked with a raised brow.

  "Yo-ho Yo-ho, A Pirate's Night for Me…" Briar mumbled.

  Bethany didn't dare ask what it was about and got out of bed to start changing into her sleep shirt.

  "I'm kind of jealous of Carver," Bethany sighed when she was done changing and climbed onto her bed.

  "Because he gets to get out of Lothering?" Briar replied still focused on her book.

  "Yeah, and I don't understand why you don't go with him," she said pulling her knees against her chest and leaning against the wall.

  "And leave you and mom here unprotected so the templars can get you? Are you crazy? I know I always complain but… you two are what's important to me." Hawke smiled and turned the page to her book.

  "Sister…" Bethany's heart warmed up from her sister's generosity and silently forgave her for today's delinquency with a smile. Hawke took her focus away from the codex for a second and looked over at her younger sister and smirked.

  "Besides… one day… once you get married and mom stops bugging me about it, I'm going to go run off and find myself a pirate and have wild lesbian-" Hawke got cut off by a wild pillow thrown by a crazed apostate, smacking across her face with the fluffed sting of encased feathers.

  "BRIAR!" the younger sister huffed from other side of the room.

  "Wow, Bethany, I'm impressed. That actually hurt."

Chapter 3: Dreams of Orlesian Girls

"Remember: no girl will ever do what I did for you behind Barlin's shed that time. You just think about that!" -Letter to Carver from Peaches
*************************

  Briar woke up from smelly mabari breath to found her room barely lit by rising sun and Bethany still asleep across the wood paneled room. "Bah stupid dog waking me up," she muttered sitting up to stare at the sleeping mabari, its leg twitching from running in a dream. She played with the sleeping dogs ears, pulling and twisting them until she heard an inaudible moan coming from across the room. She looked over at Bethany to see her sister roll over clinging onto her pillow as if were a lover and let out another moan. "Maker this is awkward," the older Hawke said blushing and trying to ignore the fact that her sister was in the same room getting off in a dream.

  Bethany woke up with a yawn and stretched in her typical manner until she glanced over at Briar who was leaning against her elbows and looking at her with an almost lethal smirk. Bethany blushed, her sister knew!

  "You slept very well I take it?" The older Hawked teased. Bethany looked the other way towards the wall, absolutely devastated.

  "Not really," she lied.

  "What did you dream about?" Hawke asked while tucking her hair behind her ear and still giving her sister her trademark smirk.

  "I had a nightmare."

  "I guess that would explain the groaning…" Hawke chuckled. Bethany pulled her knees to her chest and hid her head in shame.

  "I didn't say anything, did I?" the embarrassed apostate mumbled against her leg.

  "Oh Leliana…" Briar cleared her throat before continuing, "Why does thy curtains not match thy drapes?"

  "I did not say such a thing sister! They did ma-" Bethany covered her mouth with both of her hands, stopping herself from further humiliation. Her older sister burst out in laughter on the other side of the room.

  "So my suspicions are confirmed, you really do have a crush on a chantry sister. Oh don't worry I won't tell a soul," she managed to gasp out through her giggles.

  "Maker's breath sister… Swear you won't tell anyone!" Bethany threatened with a fiery glare that stunned Hawke into remembering her sister had magical powers. Hawke drew an X across her breast with her right hand and holding her left hand up to oath, "Cross my heart and hope to die."

  Feeling sorry for teasing her little sister Briar agreed to join her family for the day's chantry service although she had little choice for it was the anniversary of Andraste's death and a sacred day for many people of Thedas. The Hawke however did not try to hide her discomfort and would often whisper to herself in discontent for the preached words.
*************************
  "There are some who question the will of the Maker and Andraste's wisdom. If he truly cared for her why did he not intervene while she was being set aflame? Why did he not prove himself and saved her then? Because the Maker is testing our faith, and if we do not spread the word of Andraste to all the corners of the world he will never return to us…"

  Briar Hawke rolled her eyes and scooted to her side in hope she could sneak out of the chantry. She was not lucky however as she felt a pinch at her wrist and saw her mother glaring at her from the side of her eye. She took her place again with a groan, and ran her fingers through her hair in boredom. She tuned out the words and watched Bethany fawn over at Leliana in a distance. There was no doubt the chantry sister was pretty, and Briar herself also found herself quite entranced when the Orlesian spoke, but there was something else about her. She was different then the other members of the chantry. She wasn't uptight, pompous, nor self righteous. But there was still something else she couldn't put her finger on, a sense of vulnerability and a need to shelter herself.

  When the service was over Bethany tugged her older sister's hand, instructing her to stay.

  "Are you two staying here?" Leandra asked when she noticed that her daughters were not following her.

  "Yes mother, we're going to stay and listen to Leliana tell stories."

  "You mean with the little children?" Hawke scoffed, "Do you do this every Sunday?"

  "Only when Leliana…"

  Briar rolled her eyes and gave into her little sister's will. She followed Bethany sat down next to her while an 8 year pulled himself onto the chair next to her. Briar was tired and as Leliana began to speak more about Andraste and the Maker she began to feel drowsy. She laid her head against the wall and stared at her sister's oh so evident swooning smile before her eyelids closed and she fell asleep.
*************************
  "I can't believe my sister fell asleep," Bethany told Leliana as the children left the library. Leliana giggled and walked over to the sleeping Hawke.

  "Should we wake her up? Oh or maybe we can leave her there to have someone else find her?" Leliana joked smiling at Bethany. Bethany giggled.

  "My sister waking up to find herself alone in the Chantry? Oh that is so… priceless. Let's do it," she sniggered.

  The two girls walked out of the chantry and in the garden with holding their urges to laugh. They sat down on a bench together next to the rose bushes. "It's pretty today." Leliana said looking up at the clouds while tucking her hair behind her ear. Bethany nodded to agree and looked down at her hands fumbling in her lap.

  "The strangest thing happened to me the other day," Leliana began to say, "I was walking around the outskirts of town and I saw your brother, what's his name, I forgot?"

  "Carver…" Bethany grumbled.

  "Ah yes… I saw him with that girl… umm Peaches?"

  "What were they doing?" Bethany innocently inquired.

  "They were together."

  "Uhg. That is sooooo disgusting! My brother, outside?" Bethany gagged. Leliana giggled at Bethany's reaction.

  "What's gross about it? Don't you have a boyfriend?"

  Bethany blushed while Leliana looked at her with a curious smile. She shared eye contact with the former bard and her blue eyes before returning her gaze back to her lap shaking her head in embarrassment.

  "What? Why not? You're so pretty." Leliana cooed, leaning closer to Bethany.

  "The boys in Lothering are gross… and I'm just not interested in those kind of things," she lied feeling Leliana's breath on her ear, and smelling the orange and red roses behind her.

  "So you've never been with anyone?"

  Bethany shook her head profusely, making her hair shake, while Leliana smiled and plucked the orange rose behind Bethany and gently handed it to the apostate with a friendly smile.

  "You know in Orlais it wouldn't matter if you couldn't find a boy you fancy."

  "Really, why?

  "Because there are plenty of pretty girls in Orlais. Ferelden is so… conservative." Bethany was speechless. "Would it shock you Bethany if I said I've been with girls?"

  "Bethany!" They both looked up to see an angry Hawke stomping toward them. Hawke took her sister hand and pulled her up from a bench. "Why didn't you wake me up? I just got lectured by the reverend mother for proper sleeping etiquette. Apparently it is rude and unladylike to drool while one sleeps." Bethany giggled.

  "Oh you think it's funny? You're not in place to laugh at me sister considering what I know!" Bethany frowned and looked over at Leliana who was also sharing a guilty frown.

  "I'm sorry Leliana but we're going home," Hawke said with ruffled feathers.

Chapter 4: Ostagar Tumbles

"That beast in Lothering killed one of my best friends. I hate Qunari."-Bethany
*************************

  Hawke and Carver sat next to each other on a log watching the other soldiers of King Calian's army spar to pass the time. Hawke grew very impatient watching the other fighters and began to day dream about her mother and sister in Lothering. She didn't like waiting for this so-called blight, nor did she understand why they were fighting darkspawn when that was clearly a job for Grey Wardens as the legends told. And what if things went array here, she would have to get back to Lothering…

  "How do you think Bethany and mother are doing back in Lothering?" she asked Carver who was far too into watching the fights.

  "Oh I'm sure they're doing fine sister. Besides according to the King the fight will be easy and we'll be back at home in no time."

  "Yeah that isn't very likely…" Brair shook her head when she realized her brother wasn't paying attention to her as he stood up to cheer on his friend who was barely managing to keep his own. The friend was struggling to make a comeback against the man swinging at him with a large stone hammer. Eventually he managed to deflect the hammer's blow with his shield and match the opponent at death point. The other man yielded while Carvers friend smiled and gave him a thumbs up before starring over at Briar.

  "You're Carver's sister right? How about me and you go for a quick tumble?" the blonde man asked her suggestively.

  "I'm not interested," she scoffed, "in someone who isn't going to last longer than a minute with me." Hawke heard a light chuckle behind her and turned her head to see a woman of her age, dressed in a light leather armor of fine taste and light embellishment that made it clear she was from a higher lineage. She smiled down at her, her black messy bob framing the tattoo that crossed her blue eye and opposite cheek. Hawke was quite taken in and thought she was adorable.

  "I'll take as long as you want me to." The woman cooed as Hawke stood up to face her.

  "Oh really? Well if you really want to I can use a wooden sword since you're so lightly cladded…" Hawke teased and smirked at the smaller woman while eyeing up her toned body

  The woman laughed at Hawke for underestimating her, "No there's no need, well, not right now anyway," she winked at Hawke.

  Hawke's eyes glossed over as her brain slowly processed the dark-haired woman's suggestion. Hawke blushed and reached over for her greatsword suddenly becoming nervous as the woman walked over to the sparring field. Hawke took her place in front of her and when both were ready she charged at her only to swing and miss the light footed girl.

  "She's faster than I thought she would be…" Hawke mumbled as she turned around to find her opponent.

  "Hey isn't that the new Grey Warden recruit?" Carver's friend mumbled to him. Carver shrugged and continued to watch his sister fight her match.

  "I've never seen my sister struggle like this before…" Carver said with a smile admiring the dark haired woman. "She must be incredibly skilled… it's likely she is the Grey Warden recruit then," he said fighting off a blush.

  Frustrated, Brair went after the rogue in an attempt to hit her full force with her pommel but the rogue reached out with her right leg and tripped the warrior. Briar groaned when she hit the floor in defeat as she got back up to up swiftly to face the dark haired woman, "that was fun, sort of, until I fell."

  "I'm impressed on how easy it is for you to handle that blade… most women couldn't handle something so… big."

  "It's all in the hips really," Hawke said with a smirk; extending her arm out for a handshake, "I'm Hawke by the way."

  "I'm Dana," she said shaking her hand, "and may I say it's been a pleasure to meet you."

  "Oh the pleasure is all mine," Hawke suggestively cooed back.

  Dana smiled and pulled the warrior toward her and whispered into her ear, "If you want to go another round tonight meet me by the kennels at midnight."

  Hawke said nothing in return and just smiled while watching the girl walk away, hips in full swing. Dana bumped into Carver as he came walking towards his sister and gave no apology. Hawke lost sight of her as Carver began to bombard her with questions.

  "Who was that woman? How does it feel to get beaten for once?" Carver said with a sadistic smile.

  "Oh please Carver she tripped me and I was afraid of hurting her…" Briar denied her defeat.

  "Whatever sister, that woman was incredible." He sighed in complete admiration, "What did she whisper to you?"

  "Oh nothing just… girl stuff."

  It became apparent to Briar that Carver was daydreaming about the very same things that were on her mind so she snarled at her brother, "Let's just go get something to drink."

  "Sure," he mumbled while looking down for his coin purse. He fumbled while looking in his pockets, "I must have left my coins back in the tent."

  "You didn't, you just bought those pair of boots this morning and we haven't gone back to the tent since then… you must have dropped it somewhere... idiot."
*************************
  Leandra looked over at her daughter lying in bed with her sisters Mabari. Bethany had been in the same spot for a large number of days ever since what happened with the Qunari. She wouldn't come to the table to eat, and only left the spot to use the restroom.

  "Bethany… I know you're upset but I think you would feel better if you went outside. It's a nice day today."

  Bethany grumbled and rolled over to face the wall and putting her back to her mother. Leandra walked over to the bed and placed her hand on Bethany's shoulder.

  "Why? They were just helping that thing and it killed them. It killed them! I watched them heal and take of him and then he killed them in cold blood… That thing is a monster."

  "It's been locked away now-"

  "They should just kill it," Bethany said. Leandra was taken aback by the severity in Bethany's voice and left the room with a sigh. Bethany sat up after her mother left and looked out the window to see Lothering on a bright sunny day. She decided maybe it was a good idea to go outside but she would have to take a bath first. Bethany walked over to their bathroom and poured the filled pitchers of water into the wooden tub. She dipped her finger in the water and warmed it up with her magic before undressing and sitting in the tub. She contemplated for a moment about what she could do in town. Maybe go buy a book about magic or perhaps go see Sister Leliana. She dipped her head in the water and started washing her dark hair before her mother called out to her.

  "Bethany there's someone here to see you."

  "I'm taking a bath mother. Who is it?"

  "The chantry sister Leliana."

  "Oh I'll be out in a second then."

  True to her word Bethany quickly rinsed off her hair and patted herself dry with a towel before getting dressed. She waved to her mother before she walked outside to see Leliana sitting on a nearby bench. She sat next to her.

  "I just wanted to give my condolences about your friend." Leliana said, "I grew concerned after you weren't at Sunday's service since you usually show up… your mother told me about how upset you were…"

  Bethany sighed, "I hope that beast get what it deserves."

  Leliana frowned, "What he did was terrible I will not deny it, but the poor thing has been in that cage for almost 2 weeks now without food or water. That is far more worse than death."

  "It deserves it." Bethany mumbled

  "No one deserves to be tortured; I hate it when people say that. They have no idea what it feels like and how much it hurts!" Leliana objected swiftly to Bethany's inconsiderate tone.

  "And how would you kn-" Bethany stopped talking back when she saw the frown on Leliana's face. Leliana stood up and wiped her eye with her wrist declaring there was something in it.

  "I should get back to the chantry now" Leliana quickly choked out. Bethany called out for her to stay but she kept walking away.
*************************

  Hawke snuck out of her tent careful not to wake up her neighbors. Not used to walking by moonlight she made her way to the kennels mostly by listening to the Mabari and their insistant barking. After passing a few dozing guards, while trying her best to look casual and in place, she saw Dana waiting with her arms and legs crossed leaning against the Kennel fence. The rogue smirked at Hawke and walked slowly towards her, grabbing the other girl's wrist in a playful manner.

  "I was starting to think you weren't coming," the Cousland whispered.

  "I probably shouldn't have considering you stole my brother's coin, in fact that's the only reason I'm here to reclaim my family's fortune," Hawke teased wrapping her arm around the Warden recruit's waist.

  "Your family's fortune…" The recruit mumbled under her breath looking at the floor.

  "Oh I'm sorry did I say something wrong?" Hawke asked surprised by the other girls sudden gloom.

  Dana shook her head and wrapped her arms around Hawke's neck and pulled her in for unchaste kiss. Hawke, incredibly happy to end her long and current dry spell, deepened the kiss, pinning the dark haired tattooed woman against the fence, intertwining their tongues and eagerly swapping saliva. It didn't matter that she didn't know who the woman was, what she did or where she hailed from, all that did matter was that she had a name and an eager beautiful body and even that was more than enough.

  Dana pulled away from Hawke's chapped lips with a nip before breathing out, "I'd give you back your brother's coin but I already spent it on a new backpack."

  "That must be some fancy backpack," Hawke murmured into her ear, gently nipping at it while lowering her hands to grab her arse.

  "It is. It's in my tent, want to see for yourself?" she groaned as Hawke squeezed her.

  "That's not the only thing of yours I want to see."

Chapter 5: An Ending Outside the Chantry

"Why are you looking at us? We've been running since Ostagar!" -Carver
*************************

"Are you limping?" Carver asked his sister as they marched into position at the gates of Ostagar behind a field of King Calian soldiers, all standing with an uneasy slump and nervous twitches.

"Huh? No-" Briar flushed while planting her greatsword into the ground to lean against.

"Then what have you done to yourself. You've been walking bow legged ever since the other night."

"Don't worry about it. I might have pulled a muscle the other day. I'm not used to all this action you know it's not like Lothering is a hard place to guard." Hawke muttered looking away from her brother.

"I just want to make sure you're ok… we are about to fight darkspawn you know."

"We'll get through this easily," Briar boasted with a smile, pointing her fist towards her little brother, "after all we're Hawke's and nothing gets in our way." Carver smiled and reciprocated his sisters fist bump. Their confidence quickly dropped though as the men and woman around them began to murmur about the howls and shrieking they could hear in the distance. Briar looked over at her brother to see him with a nervous scowl, tip-toeing while trying to look over the crowd as the arrows were fired over their heads and out into the distance. The mabari began their charge and their howls came to an unsettling silence was not typical of the power of a mabari charge. Brair became nervous and grabbed her brother's shoulder.

"Carver whatever happens I want you to stay near me, if you stay we can get back home to see mother and sister," she said and Carver quickly nodded before they were ordered to fight.

The two Hawkes charged off with the others, trying their best to join in with the ecstatic battle cries but it became evident to soon that this was not a battle to be won. The darkspawn kept coming and screaming, releasing their breathes of bile. King Calian's men could not with stand the numbers and when Hawke noticed there where no longer any men or women fighting alongside her, she called out for Carver, using her last bit of energy to call out for him at the tops of her lungs. When there was no response she became fearful and desperate and called out again as her greats sword slid through the tainted monsters. She groaned thinking she could not possibly go home without him, her mother's face would be filled with too much despair to bare. She called out for him again.

"Sister!"

Hawke ginned as her little brother ran out toward her and they both quickly nodded at each other in understanding. They ran out of the battlefield in the direction towards Lothering as quickly as their bodies would allow.

When they were far and out of the warfare Briar glanced back one more time, watching the flames of ruin in in the distance, but then something caught her golden eyes, an enormous winged mass landing on the tower of Ostager.

"Carver, Carver did you see that bird it was huge?" she gasped.

"What in the Maker's name are you talking about sister? I hope you haven't obtained that horrible taint." Carver said, annoyed at her irritating contrived words as he continued in the direction to Lothering.

Hawke looked back in disbelief to see the bird flying off into the wilds with something in its two large talons.

"It's there!" she said, pulling her brother's shoulder in vain only for it to be gone when he looked.

"Giant birds… I think you've gone crazy."
*************************

Leliana looked over at the rosebush once more. She knew it was some sort of sign from the Maker and these women laughed at her efforts to want to do something for the world. She would take no more of it.

She swung her tote bag over her shoulder and leaned forward to smell the lone blossomed scarlet flower one last time before she made her way into town to find out more information about the blight. She brought the sweet smelling thing to her nose and against her lips just as she heard out a familiar voice from behind her.

"Leliana…"

"Bethany," she responded with a half-hearted grin at the younger dark haired girl, glancing at the cleavage revealing outfit she was wearing, taken aback for a moment. Bethany blushed and looked down at the floor.

"I am so sorry about the other day. I was incredibly rude, presumptuous, and I did in no way mean to hurt your feelings." Bethany apologized to the best of her ability while looking away from Leliana, while the bard smiled at the way she nervously fumbled.

"It's okay," the bard cooed walking towards Bethany and then lightly cupping her face so the apostate would face her, " I know what happened was horrible and it's just best we not talk about it again, I don't want to upset you." Bethany nodded and blushed at the older woman's touch. Her eyes struggled to focus away from Leliana's lips and noticed Leliana's tote.

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, trying to suppress a frown. Leliana nodded.

"I'm leaving the chantry and staying in town for a few days until I find someone to travel with."

"Why?"

Leliana shrugged thinking of an excuse, not wanting to talk about her vision, "Because, I see the refugees and all the people who have started to flee from the blight… I feel the need to do something…"

"Why do you have to leave Lothering then? There are plenty of people who need you here. I don't understand" Bethany said, saddened.

"The Chantry will help those in need who decide to stay in Lothering, I need to fight this at the source." Leliana sighed.

"But that's what my sister and brother are doing in Ostagar, I don't see why you have to leave Lothering."

"Lothering will be fine without me Bethany, there is nothing I can do it help it."

Running out of reasons to question Leliana, Bethany became distraught at the thought of her leaving. She was the only friend she had left here and… and she just couldn't let her go like this she liked her far too much to be without her. With a narrowed, anxious brow she looked over at the red head, admiring her icy blue eyes and pink full lips. She liked her far too much…

"Are you ok?" Leliana asked with concern. Bethany shook her head. She was not ok, she was being over whelmed by emotions she had never felt before, that were confusing her beyond her will, and she could not let her go without doing something…

Bethany kissed Leliana.

Bethany did not know what she was doing but that did not matter because Leliana did and bitter sweetly helped the inexperienced girl with her lips and tongue. For a brief passionate moment, she pulled the buxom young girl against her, her hands trailing down Bethany's lower back and beyond her hip, but when she grasped the bard became flooded by memories of Marjolaine and pulled away.

"I can't do this." Leliana whimpered out, about to pull out of the apostate's eager embrace.

"Yes, you can. I want you to…" Bethany mumbled into Leliana's nape.

"I am not the person you think I am… you deserve better than me."

"I don't care." Bethany said trying to hold back a tear, "do you not like me?"

"No, it's not that I don't like you because I like you too and under normal circumstances, I would reciprocate your feelings... I really would… but I need to go." Bethany shook her head in disbelief that she was being rejected and said nothing. Leliana leaned in and kissed Bethany on the forehead before whispering, "Goodbye," and walking away.

Bethany stood there for a moment, too hurt to know what to do, and decided to make her way home.

"Bethany there you are! I had a feeling you would be here." Briar called out, quickly walking over to her little sister. Who had just left the chantry gates.

"We need to go mother and Carver are waiting for us at home."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want any of us to be eaten alive by darkspawn, that's why." Briar morbidly chuckled while she took her little sisters hand and dragged her away from Lothering.