Dragon Age 1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Dream

Beautiful flickers of orange and yellow danced around the legs of the Tevinter elf, Fenris. The flames grew and spread as they danced into the air, trying to reach the endless sky and touch the stars.

"_Fenris..."_

Fenris' head turned sharply at the sound of his name being called so gently, to find a young woman with the resemblance of a beautiful porcelain doll, staring at him a few miles away. Her skin as pale as death and hair trailing the floor behind her like a veil, she placed one foot in front of the other, as if to walk to him, and reached out her hand. Her body was completely exposed and naked, the flames encircling her delicate form, burning the soft flesh, as her face blurred and tears began falling from her scorched cheeks. Her lips trembled as she silently whimpered in pain and called out to him in distress,

"_Help me!"_

Fenris jolted upright in his bed with a start. Sweat pouring down his face and his breathing erratic, he tried to familiarise himself with his surroundings. After a few minutes of trying to calm his breathing and his racing thoughts, he realised he was in the abandoned mansion just like always and everything was normal. Only it wasn't. That dream he had, it felt so real. The young girl begging for his rescue and the tears she had shed. Her skin was so pure, untainted, soft and fragile. The complete opposite of himself. He wanted to take her hand, to stop her tears and help her with whatever was troubling her. But, it was only a dream.

He sighed as he got out of bed and stared at the midnight sky, the cold moonlight seeping in from the window, making his lyrium markings glow in response. He knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep again that night and the frown on his face deepened as he remembered that he was supposed to be going on a mission with Hawke and the others in the morning. He ran his slim fingers through his silver hair and let a low growl summon in his throat as he slumped in the armchair by the fireplace. He grabbed a bottle of wine on the coffee table beside him and took a swig of it before closing his eyes. Images of the young girl entered his mind once more and his grip on the bottle tightened.

This was going to be a long night.

Fenris was completely exhausted when he met up with everyone at the Hanged Man that morning. They just stared at him with shock as he didn't even try to hide his exhaustion. He was always the one who stayed in control and hid his emotions, kept himself closed off and tried his best to make himself look professional. Today, however, his hair was scruffy and spiked in all directions and he had huge bags under his eyes. He was slouched, not in his usual protective stance, but more lazily and drowsy. He swayed as he walked, his late night drinking coming into effect, and he was completely lost in his own thoughts.

"Fenris…?"

He winced at his name being called, still not used to anyone other than the girl in his dream uttering it since last night, and looked in the direction the voice was coming from.

_Hawke._

Her face was filled with concern and she reached out to touch his arm comfortingly. His eyes widened and he flinched back instantly. He tried to visualise the girl from his dream calling his name and standing before him, but instead, all he could see was Hawke. She was fading and he hated it. It was like the memories of his past all over again.

He saw Hawke wince and draw back her hand, but still managed to give him a reassuring smile as she turned to the rest of the group to tell them the plan for the oncoming mission. He sighed inwardly as he barely listened to Hawke assigning roles to each of her comrades. Once she had finished explaining, she took one last glance at Fenris and offered he stay behind this one time and catch up on some sleep. He refused, knowing that if he tried to sleep in that empty mansion of his, he would only end up lying awake, thinking about the girl from his dream, and become even more exhausted than he was to begin with.

The mission was a long and tiresome one and Fenris was beginning to wish he had taken up Hawke's offer. They had arrived at the Wounded Coast, stressed, after having to listen to another session of Varric's endless stories and jokes, and Fenris and Anders bickering over Blood Mages and Abominations. They were supposed to be clearing out a band of Mercenaries but instead, had ended up trying to clear out demons from a nearby temple. Shades and Desire Demons poured out of nowhere and one by one the group eliminated them all in a tangle of blades and magic.

After the last demon was slain, Fenris was relieved that the mission was over and done with and was ready to leave the god-forsaken temple forever, when suddenly an explosion came from the locked room next to them. Flames poured from the room and a shade scrabbled out in an attempt to flee the inferno clinging to its skin, and ended up running into Fenris' mighty blade. The group quickly slaughtered any remaining demons and inspected the burning room, thick black smoke blurring their vision, to come upon a naked young girl.

Hair pooling around her and flames burning her soft, porcelain skin, she breathed heavily, choking on the air, and winced as she collapsed against a wall. Her back scrapping against it as she slid down to the floor, she quickly fell unconscious from inhaling too much of the thick smoke that was slowly poisoning her lungs. The group gasped as they looked upon her and Fenris' eyes widened in complete shock as he recognized the girl he had lost a great amount of sleep over.

"_It's her!"_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Her Debt

Hawke glanced at Fenris while everyone else gawked at the naked girl slumped on the ground unconscious. Her heart clenched as she saw the look on his face. She knew that expression like the back of her hand. After all, she had given it to him enough times when he wasn't looking.

_Adoration._

How could Fenris have feelings for this girl they had only just found? She didn't understand it, but when she noticed something flash in his eyes, she decided it couldn't be the first time he had seen her.

He didn't understand it. The girl in his dream, the dream that had plagued him all day, was now unconscious before him, in a burning temple room and completely naked. It just wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. Could it? He wasn't sure, but he was certain that he couldn't just let this girl go. Not after just finding out that she is real.

Before he could stop himself, he walked over the girl and quickly scooped her up into his arms. His mind raced as he quickly rushed her out of the temple, trying not to look at anything other than her face. He studied every detail and marvelled at her beauty, her long slender eyelashes, her small button nose and her pink, plump lips. Fenris couldn't help but notice he stared at her lips longer than necessary. He tried to hide the slight blush that spread lightly on his cheeks.

The group just stared dumbfounded at Fenris as he walked with the young stranger in his arms. He never took to anyone new and just kept in the background, staying out of the way and keeping his opinion to himself. But now, here he was, holding a complete stranger and all they could do was just follow him out of the temple and try to find a way to wake the girl.

When they finally got out of the temple and could breathe properly, Fenris rested the mysterious girl on the ground and looked at her, completely oblivious as to how to wake her. Hawke sighed as she stepped forward and withdrew a hooded cape and small clothes from her pouch.

"Um, maybe we should dress her before we wake her up…? I mean, it's not much, but-"

"It will do for now." Fenris' quick reply almost made Hawke fall over with shock, but she quickly composed herself and moved to the girl, quickly dressing her as best she could. When she was done she summoned Anders over to the girl to try and heal her burns and wake her. Fenris scowled at him the whole time, until she finally came too and Fenris almost knocked Anders off his feet to try and get to her.

"Uh… W-where am I…?"

Her voice made his heart stop. He had only ever heard it once, in his dream, and now being able to hear it while conscious, was like his dream literally 'came true'.

He resisted the urge to touch her face or hug her, for fear of breaking her or the group whispering about the reason behind his intention. He didn't like either option, so he just stared at her instead. A small blush adorned her features as she noticed his stare and they locked eyes.

It was Hawke who broke the silence.

"We're outside the temple. My name is Hawke," She pointed to the rest of the group and introduced each one until she got to Fenris,

"And this is the one who got you out of the temple, Fen-"

"Fenris…" The girl breathed, and the blush spread further across her cheeks. "You came to help me after all."

Hawke couldn't help but scowl. So she was right, they had met before. And although she wanted so much to ask how they knew each other, she knew there was a more important question that needed answering,

"Who are you?"

The girl's eyes instantly snapped to Hawke's face and the light in them dimmed as she became void of any emotion. She turned abruptly to the whole group and stood. Her eyes skimmed over all of them, and their eyes followed. She bowed slightly before speaking,

"My name is Marryah. I thank you all for saving me, but, I'm afraid I must ask that you do one last thing for me."

The group stared at her for a few seconds and Hawke opened her mouth to speak, but it wasn't her voice she heard. It was Anders'.

"Who exactly are you? And what is it you require from us?"

Marryah looked to the ground, her hair hiding her face. She took a deep breath and snapped her head back up. Her face turned stone cold and her eyes burned with seriousness.

"I require your assistance in taking me to the Deep Roads. As for whom I am, and why I need to go there, I can't tell you. At least not right now. When we get to where I need to be, I promise I'll tell you everything. But, for now, I'm not telling you anything."

Everyone stood in silence for a while, completely bewildered. It was very awkward and lasted for a very long, gruelling, 10 minutes. There were so many unanswered questions hanging in the air, and Marryah had turned her head away from the group, not daring to show her face.

"Why can't you tell us?"

Hawke's voice rang through the air like an echo, and everyone's eyes snapped to her. Everyone except the person she was addressing. When she kept silent, Hawke's brow furrowed and she coughed loudly to get her attention.

Suddenly, Marryah whirled around and she hissed lightly, her voice laced with venom,

"Because if I do, you'll use me to early."

A huge flock of crows suddenly burst from a nearby tree and matched the darkness in Marryah's eyes. The whole group, including Hawke, shuddered and decided not to ask any more questions.

Marryah closed her eyes and sighed deeply, regaining herself, before smiling warmly at the group,

"I owe you all a great debt and I promise to repay that debt once my mission is completed in the Deep Roads.

You will all understand when we get there."

The long trip back was filled with silence and for the most part, Marryah was asleep on Fenris' back. Well, that's what the group all thought. In reality, she was awake and was silently watching the man who had saved her life and was now carrying her on his back.

_They had agreed to take her to the Deep Roads, but asked that she wait a week or two to prepare for the voyage ahead, as well as the darkspawn that were surely waiting for them when they got there. She had said that it was fine, as long as they got there before the month ended. They had decided not to question her anymore about it and soon they had set off._

Now, while being carried by her saviour, she felt the need to wrap her arms tightly around his neck, trying to feel his warmth for as long as possible. She sighed inwardly as she moved her lips lightly against his shoulder blades.

"Thank you for saving me, Fenris…" She whispered as quietly as she could, so the others wouldn't hear their private conversation. She saw him tense up, but then, realising it was her voice, relaxed.

"You came to me in a dream. How did you do that?" She could barely make out his voice and had to strain just to hear it. When she finally grasped his question, she smirked against him. When she didn't reply, he turned his head to watch her mouth, 'magic' sarcastically. The half-smile that crept upon his face made her blush and she tilted her head down to hide her embarrassment.

She glanced to the side and noticed Hawke staring at the two of them from the corner of her eye.

_Before they were all about to depart, Marryah noticed she was wearing clothes. She asked Fenris how she was clothed and as a faint blush spread across his face, he pointed to Hawke._

"_Hawke!"_

_Hawke's body tensed as she registered the voice that had called her name, and slowly turned her head to the source. She frowned at the small female form headed towards her, but upon noticing the genuine smile plastered on her face, smiled in return._

"It's not her fault Fenris has apparent feelings for her."_ Hawke thought with regret, _"She's probably only grateful for his rescue."

_When Marryah finally approached Hawke, she noticed just how little she was compared to her, "Marryah. What's wrong?" _

_Marryah was clutching the cloak she had given her and without warning sprung forward and hugged Hawke to her tightly._

"_Thank you so much for the clothes! It was so kind of you!"_

_Hawke stood in shock for a moment before slowly wrapping her arms around the petit body clinging to her. Smiling warmly, she began petting the back of Marryah's head,_

"_You're welcome Marryah."_

"She really is so small and fragile… She's just a little girl compared to us."_ Hawke thought with sorrow. _"And yet, it seems like she has witnessed a lifetime of sorrow's…"

_Hawke tightened her hug on Marryah before smiling and sending her off back to Fenris._

Marryah smiled at the memory and noticed Hawke look at her with a warm expression before sighing and looking straight ahead.

"Fenris…" Marryah whispered after a few minutes silence, "Promise me you won't hate me after I finish my mission?"

Fenris looked at her with a frown and was about to question her but saw the sorrow in her eyes, "Please." It wasn't a question, she was desperately pleading with him. Fenris couldn't take the tortured look on her face and gave in, "I promise." He sighed.

Marryah's face lit up and she hugged him close, "Thank you. Thank you so much."


End file.
