Into the Woods (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Making Love Out of Nothing at All

Everyone seemed to be having a great time at the party. Corff, the Hanged Man's bartender, was throwing it as a bon voyage bash for Hawke and her team—although privately Jennie thought it might be as much 'good riddance' as 'good luck'. They had a tendency to make a mess of his tavern. She imagined he was looking forward to a few months without their presence.

Leaning against the wall, Jennie surveyed the room. Fenris, Varric, Oghren, and Fergus were playing Diamondback. Surprisingly, they all seemed to be evenly matched. Even Varric's habitual cheating wasn't giving him an edge. Zev and Isabela were having a quiet, intense drinking contest in another corner. So far neither of them looked the least bit affected by the alcohol, and Jennie got the impression there was a lot of silent trash-talking going on between the two.

Anders wasn't there, having pleaded the need to fully organize his clinic for the healer who was standing in for him in his absence. He also struggled at parties—Anders enjoyed the atmosphere, but Justice hated it, and disagreements between the two tended to be painful for the mage. And Merrill had promised to see the whole group off in the morning. Jennie had some reservations about leaving the Dalish elf behind to fend for herself in the alienage. Bodahn had assured her he would look after Merrill, and Orana, the young elven girl Jennie had liberated from slavery under Danarius, Fenris's former master, was planning to move to the alienage and would be moving in with Merrill. Both elves were as sweet and innocent as they could be, at least on the surface, but Jennie hoped together they could withstand the toughening process.

With everyone else occupied, that left Jennie free to look for Sebastian. He wasn't much of one for parties, but he had come to this one to show his support for the rest of the team as they set off. As she skirted through the crowd looking for him, Jennie was conscious that her hands were trembling, and when she finally found him and their eyes met, it felt like a bolt of lightning hitting her in the chest, cutting off her breathing for a moment. Dizzily she walked toward him. Surely tonight was different than all the other nights, tonight would be special and he would finally see— She felt all the hopes she usually kept firmly buried bubbling up to the surface, knowing this was the last she would see of him for several months, at least.

"Hawke. It's a fine evening for a send-off," he said, smiling at her, his blue eyes lighting.

"Yes, it is a fine evening," she said breathlessly, and scolded herself for an idiot. "I mean, would you like to take a walk?"

"In Lowtown? I wouldn't think you'd be interested in such strenuous activity as a walk in Lowtown the night before you're to leave. You'd be sure to be set on by bandits," he clarified when she looked at him blankly.

"Oh. Of course, you're right. It's just that I won't see y—Kirkwall for a long time, and I wanted to—"

"I'd imagine you would." His eyes grew wistful as he looked over her shoulder. "I often wish I'd spent more time simply enjoying the beauty of Starkhaven." He looked back at Jennie, smiling again. "Still, Fergus is a good man, and he wouldn't ask for your help unless it was important."

"Did you know him well before the Blight?"

"Not very, no. He was closer to my brothers in age. He and Roddy, my oldest brother, settled down at much the same time. Their wives were close. Sad to think of that time being over now."

"So you met Fergus's wife?"

"Oriana. Yes, she was a lovely woman. From Antiva, and very gracious and cordial. Roddy's wife was also from Antiva, and they had known one another for many years, Anastacia and Oriana had." He looked down. "They rest at the Maker's side now; perhaps we should envy them instead of mourning for them."