Victory

Author: Xaphana
Title: Victory
Game: Dragon Age
Character pairing: Fenris/F!Hawke, Anders/F!Hawke
Disclaimer: I do not own Fenris or Anders, but the children and Sangria are my idea

Laughter rang through the air, little feet crunching down on the leaves this time of year. Reds, golds, oranges and even some purples flew up into the air, falling down on top of three little heads, one golden, one auburn and one with silvery white hair. The golden hair was in a braided half ponytail, little flowers braided into it as a few scattered locks fell down a chubby little girl's face, complimenting big, ice blue eyes.

The little auburns hair was down to the little boy's shoulders, blowing with the autumn breezes, whiskey eyes looking to the little girl. It was the beginning of every love story. Two little ones, always fighting yet still together all the time, best friends.

And the youngest, a little silvery white haired girl looked on, angry but for no known reason. The ball they had been playing with before had fallen to the floor as the three of them pushed the leaves back together into a pile, if only to jump into them again.

The older woman watching the three of them felt her face crinkling into a smile. The scene reminded her of a life she had lived long ago. Two young mages and a warrior. Her little girl was just starting to show signs of wielding her Mother's gifts, though she specialized in her father's field.  Maker, she looked so much like her father. The same hair, the same smile. The same intensity in her eyes, the same tenderness for those she felt in a worse place than she, love for those she could help, and passion for those she couldn't.  So young yet she already saw the flaws to the world around her.

Her mage. She could still see her parents faces when she had shown her first signs of magic. Fear. Fear she'd be dragged away. Fear of her power. Her father had gone through what happened to mages when they were caught. He didn't want to same thing to happen to his daughter. Neither of them, as her sister had been the same thing she was. Mage.

The little silver haired girl turned and ran towards her. She had known it was coming, and already opened her arms to hug her. Her youngest. She was only three but already she had some of her father's moodiness. Sangria didn't know why, but she had a feeling this little one would be a mage as well.

There had been a time where that would have brought fear, mind-numbing fear, where it would have driven her to hide away her children before the templars could take them. Mera was already eight, and her and Nitalia fought often. Even at three Nitalia was outspoken, even if she didn't know all the words for what she was trying to say.
Nitalia was talking to Sangria, but she already knew what her daughter was saying. She said the same thing every time the older kids made her feel left out. Sangria just laughed softly and kissed her daughters forehead. "Some day you'll fit in, but you're still little. You've got plenty of time to grow up and get revenge on Mera."

That brought Nitalia's beautiful smile out, white teeth contrasting with dark skin. She looked like her father as well. "I will get her some day!" With that she giggled and pulled away from her mother's robes, turning to run back into the fray of fighting over who got to jump into the pile next.

The auburn-haired boy was already ten, and had recently started templar training. A templar and a mage, best friends. There was more too it, she could already feel that Mera and Maric would always be close, the Champion of Kirkwall's mage daughter and the once Hero of Ferelden's son already showed the early signs of young love. It certainly wouldn't be an easy life by any means. Maric would be king soon as he was old enough and trained enough to lead a country.

"We did it Anders. It was hard, and there's still so much hatred to wipe away, but we did it."

A small smile spread across her face as her fingers raised to delicately stroke her lips, remembering.

She could still feel his kiss as he had held her close. "We will fight for a world where our children can be born mages and free. Ten years, a hundred years from now, someone like me will love someone like you, and there will be no templars to tear them apart. May the Maker bring us victory or everything else is meaningless."

The smile faded as she wrapped her arms around herself, as if cold. "Mommy? Are you ok?" That was Mera. She even stopped mid-argument to see if her mom was ok.
"Yes honey, I'm fine. Go play." But she wasn't fine. Anders was gone. They'd only had a life together for a few years after fighting their war. The taint he had taken on to himself in his time as a Grey Warden had finally sunk in.

She had remarried since, to another man she loved. Fenris. He had left them when they both waged war against the injustice of mages everywhere. Though he had gotten much better with mages, he still couldn't bring himself to side with them. But, he had also promised he would not fight for the other side. In part, he hadn't joined because he hated mages still, in part, he hadn't joined because he knew he didn't fit in to their world. He had left to figure out what his meaning was. He had once talked of being truly alone when his sister Verania had betrayed him, but in years of dealing with Sangria, he realized being alone wasn't the problem, it was that hadn't known what to do with himself when there was nothing for him to fight for.

Part of her heart had gone with him, and even Anders knew it, but she stayed by his side, and when they finally made a point strong enough, they had married, and had Mera. Then, she had watched the taint start to overtake him. He had hid it at first, and she had just thought he was sick. She had healed the bruises he had gotten with the healing powers he had taught her. She had thought at first that it was the taint finally settling in, but he never tried to go to the Deep Roads as many of his kind did when they felt their time coming. She had thought she was safe. But he didn't want to go out fighting, he wanted to go out with his family.

When he passed was the first time she'd seen Fenris in years. He had heard somehow about Anders. He knew nothing he said could do anything for her, and had simply held her when she cried. Now she had the other part of her heart back, but Anders was still gone. She knew she'd never truly be whole again, but she hadn't been since Fenris left. It was different but not new.

She and Fenris moved into the lands that Alistair had designated peaceful, for both mages and templars. There was no Circle here, only schools mages could go to learn. Templars were trained, just in case, but never did they hurt the good mages, the ones who passed their Harrowings with flying colors or else they were punished. Fenris was surprisingly one of those who trained templars, at least for the combat aspects of it. He'd had many a fight with mages and the society had practically begged for him to do it. And Sangria supported it. They had both realized it was probably the closest he could ever come to live this life with her on her terms. Terms so many, guilty and innocent alike, had died for.

It still wasn't perfect. Outside their new land, mages were still hunted, but it was changing. Finally.

She had been so lost in thought she hadn't heard him coming until strong, white veined tanned arms rested over her shoulders. It broke her morbidity a little as her own ice blue eyes lifted to the man now looking down at her.

"Daydreaming again Hawke?"

She laughed a little, before wrapping her arms over her head and around his neck a little. "Of course my little wolf, reality is so boring, its the best way to go really." His lips met hers gently for a moment before both sets of eyes returned to the children at play.

She sent a small prayed to the Maker that Anders had somehow found his way there, and was still watching them. 'I will always love you Anders, you and the world we're helping create. But, i've found some semblance of happiness.'