da_champion | On the Road

On the Road - For Unshod

The Storm Coast wasn’t much different from Crestwood. It rained almost constantly but there was a distinct lack of undead and the air had the smell of the ocean instead of rotting lake. But the rain was near constant. Endless. Driving Hawke insane even though he had on an oil slick cloak that kept him dry. One last gift from Inquisitor Lavellan before he left to head north to Wiessupt.

It didn't help him climb slick rock any but he wasn't soaked to the bone. Maybe he should have left from the desert but going back to Skyhold before he left to say goodbye to Varric and a quick resupply was better. Except for this miserable, Maker-foresaken weather.

When he heard the sounds of a fight a distance away on the beach he debated getting involved. It would slow him down and he was making slow progress already... but... he could take his bad mood out on whoever was causing trouble. A good fight would warm him up. The Inquisition had a presence here but they couldn’t be everywhere. Hawke would be doing them a favor by chipping in. He’d also get to throw a fireball which might actually warm him up a little.

He did not expect to see a familiar face cutting through Tevinter slavers. Hawke didn't even know there were slavers on this coast. There was no mistaking the distinctive flash of markings and the buzz of lyrium in the air. He could almost taste it in the back of his throat.

“Fenris!” Hawke shouted in greeting as he came quickly stumbling down the side of a not so steep cliff.

He reached the beach and threw his hand out ice lancing from his fingertips through a slaver. He made a gurgling sound before he fell dead. Spinning his staff around Hawke walked right into the fight. He was never one of those mages that stayed at a distance. He could throw a fireball but also run a man through with the bladed end of the staff.

Not that Fenris needed much help. He was perfectly capable of slaughtering slavers without any help even outnumbered five to one. They made short work of the slavers who seemed to be waiting for a ship to take them back to Tevinter with some kidnapped Dalish elves. Hawke kept back while Fenris freed them from their cages and shackles.

“Good to see you’re keeping busy,” he drawled when Fenris approached him.

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It was difficult to apply pressure when he's being swept into Fenris' arms. It's a good reminder that his friend is incredibly strong, stronger than Hawke who was taller and had more muscles. More obvious muscles. Fenris clearly had his own given how easily he picked up Hawke's large frame.

"Yeah, shelter first. Somewhere to stay out of sight," he mutters, pressing the cloth to the cut across his side. The arrow kept his shoulder from bleeding badly but it would be a bastard to pull it out. He's not looking forward to that.

Whatever shelter Fenris finds Hawke puts his back to the wall and keeps his eyes on the entrance.

"They must have red lyrium," he mutters. "Smite shouldn't be this strong."

He strains as he reaches for his magic but the block is still there. He grunts in frustration and kicks his heel against the floor.

Carrying Hawke as he is, it's a slower walk than if he was without the weight, but faster than dragging his ailing friend. It doesn't take long for him to find an burnt out home just shortly in the opposite direction of where the Templars' fled - the roof swayed with decay but the walls still up, door still intact, sturdy. It will do well to keep them out of sight and hidden in the treeline, gave them a reprieve enough to wait out the smite, for Hawke to heal himself.

Setting the man on his feet, Fenris moves to shut the door, grabbing some debris of a fallen beam to make the door harder to open from the outside.

"To think the use of red lyrium has made it this far.." Fenris doesn't sound surprised but he does sound like he had hoped otherwise. Opening his pouch, he pulls out an injury kit and starts to take out salves and more cloth. Before traveling with Hawke, Fenris would just have to mend himself with normal first aid and potions. And while he's not had much reason for potions as of late, he still carries around basic first aid.

"Stopping the bleeding is paramount -- here, let me," his voice brooks no argument as he moves the man's hand from the injury and starts to unbuckle armour and straps, lifting the armour away from the wound on Hawke's side. He hides the wince of sympathy before he gets to work. Carefully, he spreads salve over the weeping wound, then takes the cloth and presses it firmly against it, trying to staunch the bleeding.

"The Inquisitor said a demon took control of the Templars but no one knows when. It could have been spreading since the Mage-Templar war broke out." Hawke hisses through his teeth as Fenris tugs his armor off and away from his injuries. It hurts but is necessary.

"They're disrupting the spread as much as they can." Hawke presses his hand over Fenris' against the wound, breathing slow and steady as he ignores the pain and tries his best to force his mana to come back even though there's a damn smite still holding it back.

He slumps a little more as the salve does its work. "I should've been more careful."

If he'd been paying better attention he could have stopped this from happening. He's certain of it. Yet, he hadn't been aware enough. He'd let himself get smited it felt like. Foolish and stupid but it's hard to be sensible when he's bleeding so much.

"We'll have to travel carefully from now on. More Templars will come." Hawke does not want to find out what red lyrium would do to Fenris' tattoos.

There is a stillness to Fenris when Hawke puts his hand over his own. No stiffness, nothing tense, just a stillness as he continues to put pressure on the wound. He cannot say why he feels the sudden need to not move unnecessarily and potentially dislodge the man's hand, but he wants to keep it there, touching his own.

With a blink he listens to Hawke's explanation, of what's happened to the Templars' where red lyrium is concerned. To think it's spread so far, that the Templars have gone to such extremes. Once he supported the Templars in many ways, but to see them so fallen he cannot help but find himself disgusted with their actions. To see what they have done to Hawke, he cannot help but find himself questioning--

These weren't thought for now, but for another time, for now he needs to stay vigilant to what is happening around them, listen for any rustling or foot steps while his companion is incapacitated.

"We did not anticipate their number or strength, but they did not anticipate me being with you... we will need to be more cautious, they will not be so caught off guard next time," they know now that Hawke doesn't travel alone. That enough was something to be cautious of, let alone everything else.

"We will push into the night for the next couple days, that should allow us to out pace them for the moment."

"We might risk a ship," Hawke suggests, frowning at his own idea. "Cross the Waking Sea into Nevarra and stay in Nevarran territory until we're in the Anderfels."

It's so much more risky than his walk through Orlais to the Anderfels which would keep him well clear of the Free Marches and Sebastian's damned war against Kirkwall. It skirted the border of the Tevinter Imperium where Fenris would be the most at risk. It also meant civilization and the risk of someone discovering him.

Hawke kicks the ground in frustration, his whole body straining for just a trickle of magic that he poured into healing the wound on his side. It slowed some of the bleeding but left Hawke exhausted.

There is a source nearby. Hawke can feel the pulse of lyrium under Fenris' skin. A source he could use but the very idea makes him sick. He would never use Fenris that way even with their hands pressed together and his innate sense reminding him of how he could have his magic back very quickly. Not even on death's door would he take that from Fenris.

"I've got a bit of coin from Varric and the Inquisitor," he pants. "Shave my beard and maybe trim my hair and it might be safe enough."

Fenris didn't like this idea at all, but he saw the merit in it. Saw that it could work in their favor if things went well, but it would be dangerous now and after. He frowns at Hawke's kicking, the staining cannot be helping the situation, even if he can feel the gentle pulse of magic under his hand - a hand that was still covered Hawke's.

"Still yourself, you do not want to aggravate your wounds trying to get your magic back," he moves to straddle the man's legs, sitting on them, to keep him still. He knows it must be hard for Hawke to be separated from his magic, but having a tantrum wouldn't make it come back any faster and Fenris was worried for the man's wellbeing. Exhaustion lined the man's handsome face.

"I have coin as well, not much, but if we pool together there will be enough to ferry us.. But it is a dangerous path, it will put us in the Free Marches and eyes on us both.. Even if you can mask your appearance, I cannot." His markings always show through, it was hard to hide who he is and that close to Tevinter is likely to have eyes on the look out for someone of his appearance.

Nor does he have absolute control over his markings, if they run into a bad situation, he will most definitely give himself away, especially in defense of Hawke.

"It's risky.. but if you think it best, I will follow your lead as always."

"This isn't the first time I've almost bled to death," he points out stubbornly. He could probably throw Fenris' weight off him exactly once if he managed to take his friend by surprise. Then Fenris would sit on him and stay on with that ridiculous strength of his. It's not worth the fight it would start. Hawke just wants his magic back.

Fenris shouldn't have to defend his useless self because he was stupid enough to get caught in a Templar's smite. He should be able to fight and defend himself on his own as he had done since leaving Kirkwall.

"The downside of Varric's book," he huffs out a breath, still straining slightly for his magic. He didn't kick out just tensed his muscles as he tried to break through the smite. "Neither of us expected I'd be a wanted fugitive at some point but maybe we should have thought ahead. I was always an apostate."

Ah, those carefree days in Kirkwall when he had felt protected by his Champion title and his fame. Hawke misses them now that the fame has turned into infamy instead.

"I don't know if it's best, Fenris. I've been making it up as I go."

"It is not, no but while I am here I won't allow you such a fate," yes Fenris could be thrown off once, because right now he was merely using his weight to weigh Hawke down, nothing more. Though, if he must he will pull out his strength to get the man to settle down and not start to bleed out again when he's only just got the bleeding to slow down.

He can still see the man still tensing, trying to break through the smite and heal himself. To watch him struggle so much is disconcerting, he never would want this for Hawke, no matter how he feels about mages, he finds himself wanting to kill the templar that did this to Hawke all over again.

"None but one could have anticipated how things would shift in an instant. No matter how much you both thought ahead, it seemed improbable that you would fall out of favor," he doesn't mention Ander's name, but they both know who that one person was. There's a bitter note to even mention him slightly, Fenris never liked the man, but he despises him for what he did, especially how he used Hawke. Fenris is a very loyal and honest elf, he cannot even fathom doing such to his friend.

"And have you not always been making it up as you go? I have followed you for a long time now, Hawke, your lack of foreplanning is not unknown to me."

"You didn't think I could have learned in the time since Kirkwall?"

Hawke has learned many things since Kirkwall. Most of them were about how to survive on the run and keep himself hidden. He hasn't exactly learned to be a careful and reasonable planner. He's learned to be careful. He's learned to be a touch paranoid. He's learned to be wary. Planning? That hasn't been a priority.

He takes a deep breath, then another. The key to spirit healing, as Anders had explained it years and years ago, was getting a spirit's help. He had to give up his offensive magics to attract the right kind. Hawke has no idea if he can reach a spirit when the smite is in place but he tries to settle himself.

Fenris' weight on his legs oddly helps. The weight and warmth of him helps anchor Hawke in the moment. It also reminds him he's safe. He has someone to watch his back as he tries to slip into the trance state.

He finds when he settles the smite is weakening and there's a little crack in it that he can slip through to reach the Fade. His whole body glows faintly light blue as he trickles the healing magic through that crack and start to stitch the wounds back together magically.

He just gives Hawke a raise eyebrow look that says really? have you? that speaks volumes. Because he knows full well there are some things you can learn, but the patience to be a careful planner is not really something he sees the man excelling at. He was always excellent at flying by the seat of his pants and it working out. Though, he has noticed growth in being careful, like an injured bear.

When Hawke starts to relax instead of throwing a panicked tantrum, Fenris finds himself relaxing too. It hadn't even been something he noticed, but he was tense from watching Hawke bleed out while panicking. It wasn't often that the man lost his cool, so to see it put Fenris on edge, but now that Hawke was relaxing to find his magic again, Fenris didn't feel like Templars were going to bust down the door any second.

Not that he didn't remain highly vigilant.

The blue glowing shows him when the magic comes back, so when he looks at the arrow still in the man's shoulder, he frowns. While it was useful to keep it in the wound earlier to keep from bleeding too much, it would be better if that was out for this..

"This will hurt," is the only warning he gives before he braces the man's shoulder back against the wall with one hand and yanks the arrow with the other.

The pain flares white hot in his shoulder. Hawke chokes on a scream and once again he bucks underneath Fenris' weight. The meditative state he was in vanishes in a puff of smoke like he never managed it in the first place.

He slumps forward, his other hand grabbing Fenris' shoulder to keep himself upright. The blood flows hot down his shoulder. He needs to heal it and he will in a minute. Just a minute while he gets his senses back together and doesn't throw up all over himself and Fenris. He's been shot by arrows before many times and removing them has never gotten easier for his body to handle.

It takes a few minutes before Hawke manages to enter a spirit healing trance but the crack in the smite that held his power back is wider now. The smite is failing. He heals himself faster and better than before. What's a few new scars to add to his collection? Doesn't matter.

"Andraste's swinging dick," he mutters, blinking back tears. "To the void with your 'this will hurt'."

Dropping the arrow, Fenris braces himself for what is a bumpy ride as Hawke bucks and kicks from pain, but he stays sat on the man, helping him stay grounded through the pain. His hand coming up to rest on Hawke's, holding it tightly to try and distract his body from the pain, give him another anchor.

Fenris understands this pain intimately, he's been shot with many arrows himself and the process of removing them is almost worse than getting shot, especially if the tips are serrated - those it was easier to push them out than pull them out.

So he just bears Hawke through it, his fingers tingling where they touch the man, keenly aware of every point of contact as he normally would be, but.. it was different this time. He couldn't figure out why, but he wasn't thinking too hard about it, instead focusing on listening to threats while he kept his friend grounded.

"Better than having to cut it out because you healed it into your shoulder," Hawke had been so desperate to get his magic back that it could have been an easy oversight and Fenris isn't about to apologize for doing it. Though he's greatly relieved to see the healing stop the bleeding.

"Not in the mood to listen to perfectly reasonable logic right now," he grumbles like a petulant child. Fenris is correct. He couldn't leave an arrow in his shoulder nor would it be wise to break off the shaft and heal around the arrow head.

He drops his head back and looks at his friend, so concerned with his health, so ready to help and defend him. It's a wonder, really, that Fenris cares for him at all given everything mages had done to him in Tevinter. Hawke appreciates that trust so deeply he's not sure there are words for it.

"The smite should break fully at any second." He pats Fenris' thigh to reassure him. "I'm in danger of bleeding out on you. I'll be right as rain again in a second."

The calming trance of spirit healing also made Hawke relax. As long as Fenris didn't try to help stitch him up or some other ridiculous thing, Hawke would be on his feet again in a few moments.

"We should gather elfroot along the way. I can't make potions but even chewing it can help with healing." Another thing learned from years with Anders.

Fenris can't help the cocky little smirk that plays at his lips when Hawke acts like a whiny child about his logic. Because of course his logic was reasonable, but Hawke has been having a tantrum since they came into this house and Fenris took a little bit of joy out of being right.

Still, the reassuring pat helps him feel less on edge about Hawke bleeding out on him, makes him feel like the man will be okay. He's only ever been that scared of losing the man when he fought the Arishok and was nearly gutted. He knew Hawke would win, it's why he suggested it, but there was fear when he saw Hawke mending himself afterwards. Fear of how close he was to losing him.

"One can hardly forget how you would chew on the stuff at all times," it was almost more rare to see Hawke without elfroot in his mouth than with. He chooses to forget how the man looked smiling at Anders with a stalk between his teeth.

He's not sure why he feels a growing discomfort at the memory he's choosing to forget.

For the moment he stays sat on Hawke, keeping their points of contact while the man is still in his semi trance. Though the moment Hawke seems finished or like it isn't helping he will remove himself, but for the moment, he stays.

It's a strange urge. The urge to keep Fenris there. Hawke chalks it up to lack of physical contact he's had since leaving Kirkwall. The warmth and weight is very reassuring, proof Hawke's not alone in this. But he's healed and while his mana is low he's not in danger of dying. There's no reason for it.

He lets Fenris go, his hand falling away.

"We should move before we rest tonight," he says as he lets go of the trance. "Get as far away as we can. If those Templars have others near by they'll come back for us. And worse, they'll know you're with me."

Meaning Fenris might find himself on wanted posters as well. Hawke's a little furious at himself for that. Fenris doesn't need that trouble. He's got enough from Tevinter as it is.

There's an ache at the feeling of Hawke's hand falling away from him. It should be a relief for the touch to end, for his sensitive marking to be free of foreign touch, but all he feels is an ache and fading warmth of where they had been touching.

With a nod, he gets up off Hawke. "We should make good enough pace, I can lead us once night falls, they will not be so lucky," it's unlikely they will have an elf to help guide them in the dark. "If we spend a few nights traveling, we should put some distance between us, then we can reassess if we wish to take a boat across the sea."

Quickly packing any evidence of them being here away, the blood would be there, but there wasn't much that could be done about that... well, Hawke was a mage...

"Can you scorch away your blood? They will be looking for evidence of us and may over look it." He wouldn't, but they will be wanting to catch Hawke's trail fast not efficiently, before the man vanishes on them again. So they won't likely stop to assess a new burn mark in a burnt out home.

"I have a better idea." Which Hawke does not tell Fenris because it involves drawing the knife from his belt and slicing his palm open. He walks in the opposite direction they plan on heading letting the blood drip from his fingers onto the ground. A good distance away he heals the wound and retraces his steps back.

"They'll follow the false trail for a while." He flexes his hand and grins. What's a little more blood to sacrifice? He's got plenty to spare, right? Hawke expects Fenris to be mad at him but he will take that anger. It's necessary to keep them free and Hawke would do much worse to make sure Fenris is never in chains again.

"Fire would be too obvious and leave a trail all it's own. There's not enough here for them to make a phylactery of. We're covered." Hawke again smiles, trying to reassure Fenris that all will be well.

Then they have nothing to do but start walking again.

Fenris scowls at the way Hawke cuts his palm. It would have been better if Fenris has done it, he has more blood to give right now than Hawke does. "I should have been the one to bleed, you have barely any to spare or have you forgotten how you could barely stand but ten minutes ago," his disapproval is hot, his anger calm but there.

To make it seem more believable, he walks with Hawke, making sure to brush up against plants to make a trail that seems stumbling, but still careful. Like someone in pain trying to keep from being obvious. If they are going to give them a false trail, they may as well make it as realistic as possible.

"it is lucky that the earth is soaking what of it you have left, else they would try to make a phylactery regardless," he spits out the words but doesn't argue it further, instead following Hawke's lead and covering their tracks as they go. It would be slow moving at first, but it would make their actual trail harder to find initially.

Later he would find a stream and push for them to travel down and through it so as to disrupt their trail further.

They spent days traveling at night and hiding during the day. Hawke didn't want to say they'd escaped but the Templars did never seem to catch up. Either his false trail worked or the Templars went running back to their masters with their tails between their legs. Maybe they were never in danger of being caught at all.

But after those days... well, Hawke relaxed a little. He breathed a little easier. They went back to walking during the days. The boat plan was abandoned as there would be too many people and possibly too many guards.

They didn't come across anyone until they were deep in the Orlesian countryside.

"Hello there!" Hawke calls to the collection of arravels, waving brightly. He didn't want to startle the Dalish and get shot by an arrow again. Best to be upfront and noticeable. "Just passing through. Won't be a bother."

Though... "Unless you'd like to trade?" They could use some supplies.

Traveling at night hadn't been too much trouble for Fenris, though when they were in the darker parts of a forest where the moon and stars barely illuminated the ground, he would have to guide Hawke through the underbrush. Any pursuers they had are long left in the dust, long have fallen off their trail. It was good when Hawke relaxed a little and they started to travel during the day again, when they nixed the boat idea. An idea Fenris was against for a number of reasons, but most of all because that would bring them closer to his final destination.. something that for some reason rubbed him the wrong way these days.

He didn't want to be parted from Hawke and he was still sorting through this feeling, the way his eyes follow Hawke for more reasons than before...

"We could use supplies," Fenris says under is breath to Hawke, his eyes on the Dalish. They were low on medical supplies and were out of rations. Perhaps it would be smart to pick up potions to avoid a templar's smit situation again..

At first a most eyes were on Hawke, but as they draw closer, a few eyes find Fenris before whispers of the Blue Wraith starts to spread through the encampment. Quickly, a small crowd starts to gather, more and more eyes finding Fenris. Considering what he does for city elves and dalish alike when they are kidnapped by slavers, the name Blue Wraith has become well known..

He just hadn't known tale of him had spread here, but he fights against the urge to rub the back of his neck. The Dalish guards are quick to welcome them now, offering to trade and let them stay, welcoming them in a way not often offered to outsiders.

Hawke is grateful Fenris has a reputation among the elves because to them he's just some shemlen. Which is fair. Most people are just shemlen who treat the Dalish like intruders when the elves were here first. He lets Fenris take the lead for the most part.

The Keeper asks for medicine, if they have any to spare and Hawke cannot keep quiet. "I'm a mage, I know some healing," he offers with a sheepish smile.

The Keeper eyes him warily. "Escaped mages bring danger."

"Technically, I'm not escaped. I've never been in a Circle." That doesn't really get the response that Hawke hoped for to ease the tension. "Ah, but I can help heal as part of the trade for supplies? Or well, ask Fenris I'll do it for nothing just because it's the right thing to do."

It's a good skill to trade in but Hawke would hold healing hostage just to get what they need. He'll help either way but he doesn't want to insult the Keeper's pride.

There are eyes on him, but he mostly ignores them, resisting the urge to pull the cloak around him more. He wouldn't want to seem self conscious. Fenris should be used to eyes, he's had eyes on him in most of his living memory, be it because Danrarius wanted them on his little pet or because he was accompanying the Champion of Kirkwall, it was rare for him to not field stares, but now they were different.. They were of his own making.

Fenris watches The Keeper and Hawke speak before he nods. "He speaks true, we could use the supplies, but he will insist on helping for free if you allow him."

The Keeper looks to Fenris, the hard look they were giving Hawke changing to something more thoughtful. "And you travel with him, Blue Wraith?"

"Yes, he is a dear friend and capable healer," he speaks firmly, before adding, "If needed, I will help with hunting during the time it takes for your clan to get tended to in trade for supplies and food for our journey ahead." He doesn't mind making his own help contingent on getting something back in trade.

"Wait."

The Keeper leaves them standing on the edges of the Dalish camp while he goes to talk with the other elves. Hawke watches them with mild interest.

"I think that went well," he says to Fenris with a little smirk. "I still have that legendary Hawke charm. And you're making quite a name for yourself, Blue Wraith."

If they had Varric they probably would've been welcomed into the camp right away. The dwarf could charm a miser out of their last copper. Maybe Merrill could've eased the way. Hawke's not sure what other clans think of her but this far out from Kirkwall they probably would've been friendly.

"I hope they at least let me do some healing. We can do our own hunting for supplies if we have to but they need help." And even after everything the Maker has thrown at him Hawke is determined to be helpful in the world. He can't find the energy or a reason to be cruel even with so much hurt.

Fenris rubs at the back of his neck in some embarrassment. Hd he thought his name would travel this far, he might have chosen to be the one to do the main approaching, but as it was it didn't seem to be going poorly at least.

"I did not know my name would travel so far.. I must have saved some from this clan in my travels," he wouldn't be surprised, he's saved a number of Dalish over the years, all while using the name Blue Wraith because he left Fenris back with his companions.

There were still eyes on them, though far enough from them that their conversation was relatively private. It wasn't like he would recognize any of the faces.

"Surely they will see that our help is needed, yours especially. I will barter my services for supplies, do not worry about such, focus on healing and helping those of the clan," he reassures the man, knowing that Hawke wouldn't fret over supplies anyway, they do well enough without.

"Helping a mage is always risky. I wouldn't blame them for turning me away but welcoming you." Hawke shrugs, watching the Dalish out of the corner of his eye. "Not sure even Merrill spreading word about me would help in most cases."

The consequences of the Chantry explosion are far reaching and seemingly endless. Hawke's never sure what he'll run into while on the run himself. He's only certain that everyone will blame the Champion first and Anders second. How could the Champion not know?

He sighs heavily and shakes those thoughts out of his head. They won't help right now.

"I trust you to handle it." He claps Fenris on the arm. "You're better with people these days. Dare I say, almost charming."

Hawke's teasing a little bit. Fenris doesn't bother with people skills all that much if ever. It's amusing to watch.

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