“No, Hawke,” the mage replied, amused. “I still can’t turn into a dragon, or I would’ve told you.”
Despite the mud they were slogging through, Anders’ spirits were higher than they’d been in months, maybe even years. The sun warming their backs, both them and their clothes clean for a change, bellies full from Garrett’s morning hunting expedition, and things felt better between them. He actually did feel like he could fly, though not in the way Hawke meant.
He smiled over at his partner, a genuine smile, filled with enough warmth to rival the sun. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll start learning to become a dragon, if you promise to stop fighting bears for our breakfast. Deal?”
Hawke preferred the version of Varric's story where the Witch of the Wilds really had turned into a dragon and flown them to Kirkwall. The worst part was, hardly anyone believed the dragon part to begin with! "You know, I wonder if maybe you're just not trying hard enough," Hawke declared, laughing softly. "I mean, why is this not an school of magic that is endlessly studied? It would be so useful. Got a Blight? I can turn into dragon, let me at the Archdemon. Annoying neighbors? A friendly reminder that I'm a dragon and suddenly they aren't letting their children run through your fields. Flying, I mean. Magic is magic. We have demons and yet, no one can fly. It seems like the next logical step. Especially considering the beneficial lack of blisters to be had!" Hawke continued on, detailing a rather complex five year plan in which Anders would learn to either turn into a dragon or at least a bear so they could catch dinner in a more efficient manner. Banter and casual conversation, from the heavy silence that had kept Hawke's tongue from moving, trapped words behind his teeth. This was better. Light, amusing, idle. Silence just made the reality of their situation so much louder, and he had missed this ease he felt. This...friendship. They had been friends once, before they were anything else. Comrades, allies, companions. They were still being hunted and there were still things too raw to poke at but it was nice, this. It was something Hawke had feared they would not have again, after everything. At least for today, they could perhaps recall what had brought them together in the first place.
