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"It's getting dark Hawke." Varric observed, "Should we stop for the night?"

"Yes, we should. We still have a long way to go and traveling in the dark could be dangerous." Hawke said looking around, "Let's set up camp over there." He pointed to a near by outcropping of rocks.

"Isabela, Merrill you two collect some kindling." Hawke turned, "Fenris, Varric you collect some rocks, I'll dig a fire pit."

Everyone headed off on their tasks as Hawke began digging a shallow pit for the fire.

Fenris and Varric returned with several medium sized rocks. They placed the rocks around the edge of the pit. Isabela and Merrill returned with lots of twigs and leaves. Merrill placed her kindling in the fire pit. Isabela set her kindling a safe distance from the fire pit.

Once the fire pit was ready Hawke cast a weak fire spell, igniting the kindling and start a small fire.

"Is it just me or does it seem to get dark sooner on the coast? It's not just me is it?" Merrill asked rolling out her bedroll.

"I get the same feeling while sailing Kitten." Isabela added, taking off her bandana.

"Isabela," Merrill looked at the former captain, "How do you know what direction you are going while at sea?"

"The stars, Kitten."

"Really?"

"No matter where you are stars are always constant."

Hawke smiled as Merrill listened in awe as Isabela explained how sailors used the stars to sail. He looked up at the sky and sighed.

"I'll take first watch." He said walking away from the group, "Someone relieve me in a few hours."

"Will do Hawke." Varric sat on his bedroll.

Fenris watched Hawke walk off.

"Something wrong Broody?"

"Hawke does not seem himself."

"He doesn't?" Merrill blinked.

"I didn't notice." Isabela shrugged.

"What makes you think that?" Varric asked.

"He always gives an order to the watch."

"If you're so worried go check on him Broody."

"Oh, I like that idea." Isabela smiled mischievously, "Give him a big kiss to make him feel better."

Fenris growled.

"Now, now, Rivani," Varric smiled, "let's not antagonize our companions."

"One of us should check on him." Merrill added quietly.

"I'll do it." Fenris turned and headed in Hawke's direction. "If I stay here we may lose a companion or two" He hissed under his breath.

Hawke walked a ways before he stopped. He dug a small fire pit and ignited some kindling. He set his staff on the ground and stretched out on the sand. He sighed as he looked up at the stars. He thought about the times before the destruction of Lothering and the times when he gazed at the stars with his family. He smiled as he remembered his mother pointing out groups of stars and making up funny names for them and the laughter that followed. He sighed sadly, the thing he missed most about Lothering were the times spent with his family.

"Hawke." The familiar voice jarred Hawke out of his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

Hawke sat up, smiling slightly. "I'm fine Fenris. I've just been thinking, about the times I spent with my family in Lothering." He ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Hmm." Fenris hummed.

"When Carver, Bethany and I were young we would stargaze with our mother and father. Mother would point out groups of stars and give them names." He smiled sadly.

"It sounds like you had a fun time doing this."

"We did." Hawke said, "I can still find most of them." He pat the ground next to him,

"I'll show you." He said laying back down.

Fenris removed the large sword from the holster at his back and carefully placed it on the ground and lay next to Hawke.

"Alright," Hawke pointed to the sky, "see that group of stars there? The one that looks like a tall, lop-sided hill and a round slope." He asked, tracing an outline, leaving a thin trail of magic behind.

"Yes."

"That is 'Howling Mabari'. And, over here," He pointed to a different group of stars, "the group that looks like two mountains, a long slope and a hill." He traced the outline, leaving a trail of magic again.

"What is this one called?" Fenris asked.

"'Proud High Dragon'."

Fenris chuckled, "I can see why you enjoyed this."

"This was my favorite thing to do as a child." Hawke explained.

"Did you stop doing this as you got older?"

"We still did on occasion. I guess we thought there would be more time."

They watched the night sky in silence for a while.

Hawke glanced over at Fenris; the dancing flames highlighted his face. Hawke rolled onto his side and propped his chin in his hand, his gaze on Fenris.

Fenris glanced at him. "Is there a reason you are staring at me?" He questioned, sitting up.

"Do I need a reason to stare at you?" Hawke smiled as he sat up.

Hawke's icy blue eyes met Fenris' emerald green ones. Hawke tentatively reached towards Fenris. He gently placed his hand against the elf's cheek. He leaned closer, sliding his hand back into Fenris' silvery hair, pulling him closer. Hawke stopped, leaving a small gap between them.

After a moment, Fenris leaned into Hawke, closing the gap.

"Ha, you owe me two sovereigns, Daisy." Varric whispered to Merrill.

"How did you know?" Merrill whispered back, "I've never noticed anything between them."

"There are a lot of things you don't notice Kitten." Isabela laughed quietly.

The group watched from behind a bush a several yards away.

Fenris placed his hands on either side of Hawke's face.

"I should be taking notes." Varric mused, "I could use this in my stories."

"I think we should go back to camp." Merrill said, "I mean this is a private moment. We shouldn't be spying like this." She fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Alright Daisy." Varric sighed in defeat, "Let's go back to the campsite." He carefully moved away from their hiding place.

"Oh, you two are no fun." Isabela groused.

The group walked back to the camp site leaving Hawke and Fenris alone.

Hawke slowly pulled away from Fenris. He chuckled softly.

"Shall we keep stargazing or am I going to need to revive our 'audience'?"

"I would be perfectly content with stargazing with you Hawke." Fenris chuckled.

"Sounds like a plan." Hawke kissed Fenris again.

Hawke laid back, letting his hand slide from Fenris' cheek. Fenris reclined next to him.
They lay together on the sand, stargazing until the first light broke over The Wounded Coast.

Description
"It's getting dark Hawke." Varric observed, "Should we stop for the night?"

"Yes, we should. We still have a long way to go and traveling in the dark could be dangerous." Hawke said looking around, "Let's set up camp over there." He pointed to a near by outcropping of rocks.

"Isabela, Merrill you two collect some kindling." Hawke turned, "Fenris, Varric you collect some rocks, I'll dig a fire pit."

Everyone headed off on their tasks as Hawke began digging a shallow pit for the fire.

Fenris and Varric returned with several medium sized rocks. They placed the rocks around the edge of the pit. Isabela and Merrill returned with lots of twigs and leaves. Merrill placed her kindling in the fire pit. Isabela set her kindling a safe distance from the fire pit.

Once the fire pit was ready Hawke cast a weak fire spell, igniting the kindling and start a small fire.

"Is it just me or does it seem to get dark sooner on the coast? It's not just me is it?" Merrill asked rolling out her bedroll.

"I get the same feeling while sailing Kitten." Isabela added, taking off her bandana.

"Isabela," Merrill looked at the former captain, "How do you know what direction you are going while at sea?"

"The stars, Kitten."

"Really?"

"No matter where you are stars are always constant."

Hawke smiled as Merrill listened in awe as Isabela explained how sailors used the stars to sail. He looked up at the sky and sighed.

"I'll take first watch." He said walking away from the group, "Someone relieve me in a few hours."

"Will do Hawke." Varric sat on his bedroll.

Fenris watched Hawke walk off.

"Something wrong Broody?"

"Hawke does not seem himself."

"He doesn't?" Merrill blinked.

"I didn't notice." Isabela shrugged.

"What makes you think that?" Varric asked.

"He always gives an order to the watch."

"If you're so worried go check on him Broody."

"Oh, I like that idea." Isabela smiled mischievously, "Give him a big kiss to make him feel better."

Fenris growled.

"Now, now, Rivani," Varric smiled, "let's not antagonize our companions."

"One of us should check on him." Merrill added quietly.

"I'll do it." Fenris turned and headed in Hawke's direction. "If I stay here we may lose a companion or two" He hissed under his breath.

Hawke walked a ways before he stopped. He dug a small fire pit and ignited some kindling. He set his staff on the ground and stretched out on the sand. He sighed as he looked up at the stars. He thought about the times before the destruction of Lothering and the times when he gazed at the stars with his family. He smiled as he remembered his mother pointing out groups of stars and making up funny names for them and the laughter that followed. He sighed sadly, the thing he missed most about Lothering were the times spent with his family.

"Hawke." The familiar voice jarred Hawke out of his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

Hawke sat up, smiling slightly. "I'm fine Fenris. I've just been thinking, about the times I spent with my family in Lothering." He ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Hmm." Fenris hummed.

"When Carver, Bethany and I were young we would stargaze with our mother and father. Mother would point out groups of stars and give them names." He smiled sadly.

"It sounds like you had a fun time doing this."

"We did." Hawke said, "I can still find most of them." He pat the ground next to him,

"I'll show you." He said laying back down.

Fenris removed the large sword from the holster at his back and carefully placed it on the ground and lay next to Hawke.

"Alright," Hawke pointed to the sky, "see that group of stars there? The one that looks like a tall, lop-sided hill and a round slope." He asked, tracing an outline, leaving a thin trail of magic behind.

"Yes."

"That is 'Howling Mabari'. And, over here," He pointed to a different group of stars, "the group that looks like two mountains, a long slope and a hill." He traced the outline, leaving a trail of magic again.

"What is this one called?" Fenris asked.

"'Proud High Dragon'."

Fenris chuckled, "I can see why you enjoyed this."

"This was my favorite thing to do as a child." Hawke explained.

"Did you stop doing this as you got older?"

"We still did on occasion. I guess we thought there would be more time."

They watched the night sky in silence for a while.

Hawke glanced over at Fenris; the dancing flames highlighted his face. Hawke rolled onto his side and propped his chin in his hand, his gaze on Fenris.

Fenris glanced at him. "Is there a reason you are staring at me?" He questioned, sitting up.

"Do I need a reason to stare at you?" Hawke smiled as he sat up.

Hawke's icy blue eyes met Fenris' emerald green ones. Hawke tentatively reached towards Fenris. He gently placed his hand against the elf's cheek. He leaned closer, sliding his hand back into Fenris' silvery hair, pulling him closer. Hawke stopped, leaving a small gap between them.

After a moment, Fenris leaned into Hawke, closing the gap.

"Ha, you owe me two sovereigns, Daisy." Varric whispered to Merrill.

"How did you know?" Merrill whispered back, "I've never noticed anything between them."

"There are a lot of things you don't notice Kitten." Isabela laughed quietly.

The group watched from behind a bush a several yards away.

Fenris placed his hands on either side of Hawke's face.

"I should be taking notes." Varric mused, "I could use this in my stories."

"I think we should go back to camp." Merrill said, "I mean this is a private moment. We shouldn't be spying like this." She fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Alright Daisy." Varric sighed in defeat, "Let's go back to the campsite." He carefully moved away from their hiding place.

"Oh, you two are no fun." Isabela groused.

The group walked back to the camp site leaving Hawke and Fenris alone.

Hawke slowly pulled away from Fenris. He chuckled softly.

"Shall we keep stargazing or am I going to need to revive our 'audience'?"

"I would be perfectly content with stargazing with you Hawke." Fenris chuckled.

"Sounds like a plan." Hawke kissed Fenris again.

Hawke laid back, letting his hand slide from Fenris' cheek. Fenris reclined next to him.
They lay together on the sand, stargazing until the first light broke over The Wounded Coast.