Basalit-an

In the end lies glory

The battle was just as furious and tense as she imagined it would be. Her blades sang as they danced though the air. The Arishok charged toward her like a crazy bull with both war axe and broadsword.

They were not far into the battle and she was already starting to get tired. The small rest she had been allowed appeared to not have been enough after fighting her way till the Viscount's Keep. It had not gone as she planed at all, instead of standing her ground and fighting honourable she had to resolve to shady tricks. She quickly realised that there was no point in stealth as the Arishok's senses easily found her.

The crowd gasped as he landed a heavy hit on her and sent her flying into the wall. She heard her name being shouted by her companions.

Hawke shook her head trying to clear the fog as quickly as possible. Her head throbbed and blood ran down and her cheek. A blurred vision of the Arishok came rushing towards her. She somehow managed to avoid his charge by doing a clumsy roll without any trace of her usual grace and flexibility.

"Maraas imekari."

Hawke glare at him, had he just called her a child. She twirled her blades and started to circle around him. She noticed how the Arishok got ready to charge at her yet again. This time she stood her ground, when he reached her she danced around him and watched as he collided with the wall.

The giant shook his head but seemed mostly unharmed, he gave her a glare.

She answered with a smirk and started to circle him while carefully observing him.

Without warning she charged towards him, she managed to duck a swing from his broadsword and her blade connected with his arm and left a bleeding wound.

The axe came from her left, she made a twirl and avoided it and manage to slash the Arishok's chest with her twin daggers. Before he was able to swing his weapons again she vanished to appear behind his back as she struck his neck with her elbow.

He let stumbled forward and dropped the axe, Hawke took the opportunity and delivered some well aimed kicks, head, neck and back.

The Arishok manage to turn around and reached out to grab her but she avoided his giant hands with ease.

The pace of the battle had changed; the battle turned into some kind of game of tag for her as she dodged the Arishok. Hawke could not stop a laughter that was bubbling in her. It was probably the rush of the adrenaline, but she had never felt as alive as she did. He seemed a lot less scary without his big weapons, even if his hands probably would be able to snap her in half. He started to get covered in cuts from her blades and bruises. She jumped around him like a cat toying with a large dog.

"Parshaara!" The roar rang though the air and called her back to reality.

The Arishok ceased with his attempts to grab her barehanded and picked up his fallen axe. The fight got serious again and found that she could only keep on dodging and was never able to get a hit on him.

She screamed as the axe bite down into her arm and thanked her lucky star that it did not sever it.

This battle had to end soon, rather now. She could hear her companions and the rest of the people scream her name and cheer her on. Hawke saw an opening and ruched in only to realise that it was a trap. The giant grabbed her wounded arm and lifted her up in an attempt to slam her into the ground. In half panic she knee kicked his jaws, she prayed that the crunching sound was not her knee.

The impact from her knee dazed the giant and he lost his grip of her. She twirled around and hit his temple with a rotation kick. Wasting no opportunity she hit his kneed making him drop his axe and fall backwards.

She straddled him and aimed her daggers at his throat.

"Yield...."

Her breath was heavy and her body hurt so much she wanted to scream. But she still managed to look the qunari leader straight into the eyes with a small smirk on her lips. She pressed the knife harder against his throat as he did not utter a word. The hall had fallen silent and everyone's eyes were on them

"Till death, Hawke." He said and met her eyes with a stern look.

She frowned at him but did not move. She heard someone screaming for his death, but she ignored them.

"Ataash varin kata. In the end lies glory."

Hawke eye widened, the big giant was asking to be ended, and she swore to herself in silence of course he did. She tried to test her boundaries by applying more pressure to the dagger but she was not able to slit his throat.

She raised her arm as if she was going to stab his head but instead she stabbed his shoulder. The Arishok roared in pain and for the first time she saw raw confusion plastered over his face.

" You are dead to me." She hissed and stood up with her blooded daggers.

She turned around and looked at everyone in the room, no one objected out loud at least. She heard how Varric cheered on her and saw Anders rushing towards her ready to heal. Isabella mouthed an - I own you- and winked at her while Fenris gave her one of his rare smiles.

" We shall return." He grunted and reached out for her, eye fixated on hers before he blacked out.

One qunari picked up their fallen warlord and they all left in silence.