Red Dawn
Dawn found her standing at the front door. She always wanted to knock, she shook herself. This was home, she didn't have to knock. She opened the door and called out. "Mother? Beth? I'm home!"
She heard a pot slam in the kitchen and a thunder of feet before Bethany slammed into her. She caught the door frame keeping them on their feet. "You're home!" She hugged her back, always checking to make sure she didn't feel too thin. Beth would go without first of things got tight while she was gone. No bones poked back at her and she smelled like her favorite tea. "I wondered if you were gone for good this time."
"Hey." Hawke helped her shoulders, looking over her sister's face. "I told you would never leave like that without telling you where I was going. And things." She chewed her lip. "They got complicated this time."
Beth arched a brow at that. "Guards complicated?"
She shook her head. "No, above the board work, mostly. How's mother?"
"I'm fine." Cold as the winter sun Hawke thought. "You were supposed to be home a month ago."
Hawke dropped her heavy pack on the table, Leandra's eyes lit up with the thud. "I got on with a deep roads expedition, things didn't go well. It was in my letter."
"We got it."
Hawke rolled her eyes. "Where's Carver?"
"I'll get him!" Bethany disappeared into his room and grumbles were soon replaced with heavy footsteps.
He had to duck to clear the doorway. "Void, what are you eating?"
He laughed. "Same as Beth."
"He eats twice as much, thank you." She rolled her eyes.
Hawke chuckled as they gathered around the table. She pulled a sack of sovereigns out first. "A thousand, we didn't find our thaig but we hauled enough out that we made a killing and compensation for my injuries."
Leandra's hand hovered above the sack, her voice quiet. "All of your earnings?"
"No. I kept back some but a thousand should keep the Templars off Beth's back if something happens and supply us well for winter."
"It'll repair the hole in barn roof too." Carver settled in at the table with a sandwich as thick as Hawke's hand and a mug of coffee.
She nodded. Beth handed her a coffee with enough sugar it was a little gritty and she grinned. Nothing like home. "I also grabbed some needles for you, mother, and some books for Beth." She scowled at Carver. "I wanted to get you something, giant, but I couldn't find anyone selling a mabari." He grinned, mouth full of food and she shook her head with wry amusement. "No wonder mother can't marry you off."
"I can't marry you off either, not with your business with the leathersmith's daughter." Leandra glared at her. Hawke opened her mouth to tell her to shove it but she continued. "She had a row with the baker about it. He needs an apprentice and everyone in town knows she is the best suited for the job. He won't take her because of you."
Hawke stiffened, staring at the table long enough to collect her thoughts before straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin. "I guess it's a good thing I moved on to other dalliances then. I hope she gets it." Leandra blanched and Carver's mug fell from his hand, shattering into a million pieces. She took a long drink of her coffee letting them collect themselves as Beth stared a hole in her head. "Do we need anything? I could use a good walk around town today."
Leandra shook her head. "No. The money from your last job is still holding." She smiled, a rare full smile that her children prized. "Maybe a trip to Denerim is in the works this year. You would be able to find mabari there. We could use some wool to make new winter clothes." Hawke nodded. "Maybe some finer items." She shook her head. "Or not, if times get hard again there is no one to buy them here." She stared hard at each of her children in turn. "And absolutely no more tattoos."
The twins grinned sheepishly as Hawke ran her finger over the words that ran along her wrist. It was time to fly free again it seemed. "Well, I'm going to wander out. I want to see if Captain Isherwood has any work for me while I'm here and I have somethings to take care of." Leandra nodded absentmindedly. Hawke tossed back the rest of the coffee, the sugar sludge gritting against her throat and sticking to her teeth. She rinsed it out in the sink before edging out the back door. "I don't need a shadow, Beth."
She linked her arm through hers with a smile. "I know you're going to see Mira."
Hawke scoffed. "I told you it's over."
"There wasn't any screaming last night before you decided to sleep in the barn." Hawke scowled at her and she patted her elbow. "It's what younger sisters do. Besides, Carver can't watch your back on this. He wouldn't understand what was going on."
Hawke sighed and leaned her forehead against her sister's. "Fine, brat. But I do want to visit some people. If we see her, we see her."
It wasn't an accidental run in with Mira. Hawke knew the moment those sapphire blue eyes locked on to her in the middle of the village that the morning's prey had been sighted. She sighed and gently shoved Bethany away. She gave her a half smile at the concern rolling off her sister in waves. "It'll be fine."
"The bakery is right there."
"I know." She looked away as understanding filled Beth's eyes. That almost made it hurt too much. Mira stormed across the open ground toward her, red hair wreathing her in fiery halo. Hawke tried to summon a smile but she could feel the eyes of the other villagers turn to watch the drama about to unfold. "Hello, Mira."
Mira froze and blinked several times, thrown off her course. Hawke almost wanted to laugh. Mira's fists clenched. "You." She spat out.
"Me." She grinned. "Unless you were looking for David. Who's probably sleeping off a hangover after all the drinking we did last night." It was worth the offer of an alibi, an easy, pretty route.
"You tricked me, held me against my will with your poisonous charms." Hawke settled against the edge of the well, it was a convincing rage but Mira was going to have to do better. "Everything we did was unnatural and lie! It sickened me. You made me love you." She threw the necklace at her feet as Hawke chewed her lip. She regretted her initial thought, that one had hurt. "You leave to learn from the witch of the wild and she gives you pretty magic charms. It's why the Chasind trade with your family."
A bark of laughter left Hawke's lips. "Or maybe it's because I'm the only one in Lothering that speaks their language? That's bothered to try and understand their culture? If you're going to insult me, you're going to have dig a little deeper than that, Mira."
“Do not mock me.” Hawke snorted at the imperious tone. “At least my da loved me enough to stick around, are you sure he really died, Rose? Or did he run off because your mother is a frigid bitch like you? At least I can get a man between my legs when you aren’t here to scare me into your bed.”
The humor left Hawke’s face and she could feel Beth’s magic crackling against her skin. She straightened, for once wishing she was as tall as the twins. Her tone was even but she knew everyone heard her. “Leave my family out of this, Mira. And you were never in my bed. You were always happy to use me in yours, perfectly willing every time or I wouldn’t have had you.”
Triumph flickered in her eyes. “Thieving hands take what isn’t theirs all the time.” Her smile was vicious. “Isn’t that right, Rose?”
Icy dread slid down her spine. “Don’t.” She said softly. “Don’t you dare.”
She settled her hands on her hips. “It would be better in Kirkwall, wouldn’t it? You talked about going back to that pit that spit you out. You would fit right in there since you’re the.” Hawke’s fist connected with her jaw with a crack, knocking her into the dirt. Hawke stared down at her, her heart pounding with anger and fear as it broke again and again with every tear on Mira’s face. “You hit me.” She said softly.
Hawke’s voice was broken as the guards came rushing towards them. “I can’t risk them. Never. Do you understand?” They grabbed her arms, pulling her away as the tears finally broke free, unleashing the torrent within her. “You threaten them again, and I will bury you.” Mira gasped as the guards froze looking between the two women. Hawke lurched against them as her skin burned and roared. “I will bury you!” She hung limply then, sobbing as they drug her away.
David came to the cell bars a while later. “Hey, trouble.” She sniffled, leaning her head further between her knees. He leaned against the bars, wishing he could open them and hold her. “Dad put her under house arrest for provoking you, but there’s nothing he can do to get around you throwing that punch. The healer had to look at her, loosened a couple of teeth but she will be fine. She hasn’t said a word since.” Silence met him. “The fine is 350 sovereigns to get you out today.”
Her head snapped up and she snarled at him. “Don’t let them pay it.” She took a shuddering breath and he noted an odd smell in the air, like sulfur. He was going to talk to the blacksmith about burning the forge too hot. “Don’t let them pay it. I need to stay in here and cool my head, David. If I get out of here this mad, I’m going to do something I will regret.”
He nodded, the wild look in her eyes would haunt him. “It’s just three days in here. Will that be enough?”
She shook her head and licked her dry lips. “I’ll head back out. Find work in Denerim for the rest of the summer.” Her voice cracked. “Why? Why did she threaten that?”
“I don’t know, Rose. She knows what your family means to you. It was cruel.”
Her face hardened. “Don’t call me that. My name is Hawke.” She settled against the wall and closed her eyes. “People who call me Rose only bring me heartache.”