Rose of Ferelden

The house they bought in Lothering was nice. It was close to the edge of town, the last on the street and three buildings down and across from the baker. Malcolm claimed they got a good deal on it because it was closer to the Kocari Wilds, they would be the first to see the Chasind when they came into town. Hawke was looking forward to when that happened but it was a sentiment she kept to herself. It took less than an hour to unload the wagon, with the twins big enough to unload their meager belongings.

"I'm sorry you have to share a room with the twins, Hawke." Malcolm lamented.

She shrugged, eyeing the open loft with its big window above the living area. "Will we be using that?" He shook his head. "Can it be my room then? Like a nest."

"We can't fit a bed up there."

Leandra interrupted, carrying her stew pot and pan. "We can get a mattress up there, and hang some curtains. She's old enough she needs her own space, Malcolm." Hawke's eyebrows were high on her forehead as her gaze followed her mother around the house. "Besides, we have plenty of room to store things elsewhere."

He nodded. "Alright. The Hawke can have her nest."

She grinned and went out to the wagon, pulling up her board. They had ended up wintering at Denerim as a family and moved to Lothering that next spring. Her hoard had grown considerably. She began stuffing it by the fistful into her pack. People came and went, checking out the newcomers and she ignored them. There would be time enough later to make friends when she went looking for work. She noticed a curly haired redhead pass her twice and she finally stopped the third time. "Who are you?"

"Rose Hawke." She angled her body between the girl and her hoard. She almost had the cubby empty. "You?"

"Mira Duggan, I live across the street. My da is the leathersmith."

"Mines a bard." She ran her hand along the cubby, it was empty now. She settled the board silently back in place.

"Why are you here then?" The girl tossed a springy curl back from her face.

"Houses are expensive in Denerim. He wants to get on for the summer season at Redcliffe since we winter at Denerim. This is kind of the middle. We had family here once, Eleanor Bardsley."

Mira made a soft sound of appreciation. "She had the roses. It was sad when her place burned down."

Hawke shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, a shame."

"I'll let you finish moving." Mira smiled brightly. "But later you should come with me to meet David. His da is the guard captain." Hawke hoped her peak in interest wasn't too noticeable. "And I'll show you the Chanter's board. They have two, one for the adventurers and one for kids. It's a good way to make spare coppers."

Hawke fiddled with the strap on her pack. "What about earning sovereigns?"

Mira blinked at her. "Well, you could ask. Somebody might give you an apprenticeship. I want Jess to take me on at the bakery. I do all the baking for my family and help at the Chantry most days for the poor folks. But most people want to pay adults sovereigns."

"I work harder than most adults." Hawke shouldered her bag and shut the wagon. "I'll see you soon, Mira."

It was the next day before she got away but Mira was easy to find with her red hair. The young man walking beside her was tall and lanky, easy on the eyes she decided but he acted like he owned whatever he talked to. Spending two seasons at court had opened her eyes to a great many things, and one of them was what kind of boy she didn't want anything to do with. But his father was the guard captain, and with two apostates and her hobbies, it wouldn't hurt to be on his good side if he had one. She plastered her sweetest smile on. "Mira!"

The girl grinned. "Rose! This is David Isherwood."

She stuck out her hand, scowling. "Hawke, please. I don't like my first name."

He took it and then raised her knuckles to his lips. "A pity, for you are so pretty."

Mira chortled. "Really?"

He rolled his eyes has he dropped her hand. "What? You can't blame me. Every girl here I've known since I was born. And I'm 15, it's time to start thinking about that."

"If you made it to 15 without thinking about it, you're doing better than most." Hawke drawled out.

He burst out laughing. "Welcome to Lothering. Blah blah blah. There. Now you can tell my dad I gave you an official introduction." Hawke wondered if she pegged him wrong, but his hand flew back to Mira's elbow when another boy approached and he glowered. "Stanton."

"Captain's boy." The boy had dark hair, pale skin, and a startle of blue eyes that he turned from Mira, who was shaking, to Hawke. "Who's your new little friend?"

She cut off David's answer. "I'm Hawke." She stuck out her hand again, her smile so sweet it made her teeth ache.

He took it, his hand was clammy against hers. "A bird, then? Had your wings broken yet?" She kept her expression pleasant as she jerked him forward and cracked her forehead into his nose. He staggered away, hand cupping his face as blood ran down it. "You bitch!"

She sang after him. "You wish I had been raised by mabari, you nug humper!" Mira and David stared at her. "What?"

"You just broke his nose!" David stuttered out.

Her eyebrows rose. "Yeah? Surely I'm not the first. He's a creep."

Mira started giggling. "Finally! He is a creep, but his dad owns the inn, so nobody would touch him." Hawke scowled. "What's that face?"

"I was hoping to get a job there. I have a good voice."

David shook his head. "Our inn doesn't use that kind of entertainment, if you catch my meaning. And polite girls don't do that other work."

Hawke patted his shoulder, standing on her tiptoes to do it. "I'm not polite."

Mira was bent double with her laughter. David flushed brighter than the girl's hair. "You're too young, the Reverend Mother would have a cow."

Hawke felt her lips twitch at trying to contain her mirth. "That would be a sight to see."

"Andraste's flaming knickers, you're serious?" Hawke lost it and began cackling. He stared down at the laughing girls, who were clinging to each other now for support. "You are terrible people." He walked away.

Hawke wiped the tears from her eyes. "Maker, is it always that easy?"

Mira shook her head. "No. He really must think you are pretty. I don't envy you that."

"Oh, you two aren't?"

"Void no." She made gagging noises. "That's like kissing your brother."

Hawke's whole face wrinkled. "I have a brother, Carver. I'd rather kiss a bear."

Mira snorted. "We have a bear problem at one of the farms. They are offering 15 sovereigns to whoever brings it down." She got a distant dreamy look in her eyes. "To the void with the gold, I want the bear skin. My room gets cold."

Her mind drifted back to the daggers in the trunk under the window back home. "Are you any good with a weapon?"

"I'm fair with a bow. Da insisted I learn, all sorts of animals like how his shop smells." Mira eyed her. "You got a plan?"

"Let's go hunt a bear."

Hawke tossed Mira her bloody arrows and set to gutting the beast. "No one is going to believe this."

"I'm not sure I believe it."

Hawke chuckled. "That was a good shot by the way."

"Good shot." She snorted. "You dropped out of the tree like some vengeful spirit. It probably scared it to death."

Between the two girls they were able to haul the bear back into town and to Captain Isherwood's home and office that contained the town's two holding cells. Several folks stopped and stared as Hawke rapped her knuckles against the wood. The Captain answered, hair greying at his temples but still tall and stalwart. He looked at the two girls and the bear and blinked twice before clearing his throat. "Bounty was 15 sovereigns, ladies. Is that acceptable?"

Hawke grinned. "Yes, sir."

David peaked out from around his father. "Hey, Hawke." He saw her blood covered leathers and then the bear. "Sweet baby Andraste. You took out that thing?"

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "Mira helped. If you hadn't been so offended, you could have come with us." He stuck his tongue out at her and she responded in kind.

Captain Isherwood chuckled. "Now, children, behave. Come in while I do the paperwork, ladies."

They wandered in behind the man. Hawke noted the nice furnishings, most were of Orlesian make instead of Ferelden and that question was answered when David's mother came to greet them. "Mama, this is Rose Hawke, the girl I was telling you about."

"Pleasure to meet you." Her accent was thick but her smile was kind. Hawke responded in Orlesian and the woman's smile widened as she dragged her into the kitchen. They chatted at length while David's head whipped back and forth between them. Captain Isherwood called from his office and the older woman grabbed her hand. "You come visit anytime you please, young lady."

Hawke grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

"Please, call me Eliza." Her eyes sparkled.

Mira jostled her shoulder as they walked down the hallway. "I've never been invited into the kitchen and I've known them since I was born."

Hawke shrugged shyly.  The captain waved them over. "Sign here for the bounty." Hawke picked up the pen, signing her full name with a flourish before trying to hand it to Mira. She backed away, chewing at a nail.

"I can't write." She continued more softly. "Or read."

Hawke's mouth fell open before she snapped it shut. She turned to the man who was watching the girls with quiet interest. "Do you have a spare piece of paper?" He nodded handing it over to her, a small smile forming under his moustache. She waved Mira over. "Here, I helped teach the twins." She wrote Mira's full name in a simple script, the girl watching over her shoulder. "Think you can do it?"

She nodded slowly before taking the pen. Hawke gently corrected how she was holding it. Mira traced Hawke's writing first and then wrote below it. It was wobbly but her face shone with pride. "My name." Hawke grinned and nodded. Mira added her name to the bounty and then beamed up at the captain.

He handed over the bag of sovereigns. "Now, you girls can do what you want with the bear but split the money between you and don't spend it all at once. The butcher will take the bear, if you don't want it."

Hawke shook her head. "If Mira's family doesn't want part of the meat, my family will enjoy it. But she wanted the skin."

"Da taught me how to treat it." She bounced on her heels.

He nodded. "I'll let you know when the next one comes in, the wilds are always sending us beasts that the guard doesn't have time for."

"And next time, I'll aid the lovely huntresses!" David added with a cheesy grin.

"Yes, we needed someone to carry the damn thing after we killed it." Hawke's eyes danced as everyone laughed.

David bowed. "It's better than being stuck listening to Stanton whine. Want help getting it home?"