Prologue

The doors of the Chantry of Antiva City were pushed open by the guards and two soldiers entered. They dragged an unconscious dwarf behind them and the laypeople inside averted their eyes. The men wore the uniforms of the Seeker's guards, and the dwarf was some prisoner, almost certainly one that would be flung into the Chantry's army to hold the mages inside southern Antiva. Dwarves were the most potent non-Templar soldiers left, and they were always in short supply.

The soldiers pulled the dwarf behind the altar and shoved him inside a closed room. As soon as the door shut a trapdoor opened and the dwarf was tossed down into the arms of more soldiers. They dragged the dwarf through a tunnel into a building next to the Chantry and locked him inside a fairly comfortable cell.

Varric Tethras sat up as the soldiers left and sighed. Had it really just been three years since he lost everything? Three years since the mages revolted and left Kirkwall in ruins. He sat and ate what food was provided, recognizing the meager fare for a luxury compared to what most ate.

Somewhere at the back of the dwarf's mind were memories of feasts when his family still had good trading deals; when Hawke had been accepted as the Champion of Kirkwall, a title based on one of the most blatant pack of lies Varric had ever helped to perpetrate; when Orsino didn't consider it his divine mission to destroy everything even loosely associated with the Chantry. Looking back he knew that Meredith had been right. If they had simply acted sooner all of the bloodshed could have been averted, but Meredith was dead now; everything she'd ever worked for had burned to ash alongside the rest of Varric's home.

His memories were interrupted when a tall woman entered the room and said, "You are Varric Tethras correct?"

Varric squinted up at her and said, "That's right. Who are you?"

The woman set down a chair and settled in opposite, saying, "Cassandra Pentaghast. I'm a Seeker of the Chantry."

Varric thought for a moment then asked, "Pentaghast? You mean the Nevarran Royal Family?"

Cassandra nodded, "Indeed."

Varric blinked and sat up a little straighter, "Then what might I do for royalty?" he asked, curiosity fighting the annoyance.

Cassandra leaned forward and said, "You're the only one who knows how this war started, or at least the only one we can get in contact with. The rest of your companions are either dead, missing, or out of our reach."

Varric nodded, "I guess I can understand that. Though, I do have to question my treatment at the hands of your guards."

She smiled dangerously, "We needed to make sure you would come. They tell me you were hesitant, and this isn't something I can leave to chance. If I can understand why the war is being fought we might be able to end it before the rest of Thedas is destroyed."

Varric shrugged, "And what makes you think I can help you there. The Chantry is on the brink of civil war itself; your divine is held captive by the Fereldans, oh I'm sorry, granted asylum, and the mages are winning, why would they want to listen. Orsino is mad, that's all you need to understand. This war won't end until they are all dead."

"I refuse to accept that," Cassandra snapped. "We tried to do that in Starkhaven. It just made the situation worse. We need a more peaceful resolution. Fereldan keeps their mages under control, the Qunari don't seem to have problems. We have to find a resolution."

Varric nodded again, "I understand Ms. Pentaghast, but you have to understand the mindset of those countries. In Fereldan the government doesn't care what the mages get up to so long as it doesn't hurt anyone. They give them the freedom to live where they please and give families the option to apprentice their children within cities. Those were all concessions granted long before hostilities broke out. Besides, from what I saw most Fereldan mages barely use magic in their work. The Qunari simply don't have the internal societal pressures the way our societies do, though he always said that was more likely a hindrance than a help.

"Who?" Cassandra asked curiously.

"The Fereldan ambassador." Varric answered with distaste. "Regardless, the point is that you can't make concessions now. The mages are winning this war and plan to take what they want. A settlement is impossible, and you know that."

The woman nodded, "Maybe but I still need to know what happened. It might help us to keep the peace in the Circles that aren't openly against us." Then she added, "Please. We have to know."

Varric finally sighed. "Okay. I'll tell you the whole story. It really isn't that different from my normal tale, and I always swore I would give people the truth about him someday. This seems as good a day as any. First though, could I have something drink? This story is very long."

Cassandra's eyes narrowed in annoyance for a second, but she just nodded to one of the men who had accompanied her. He left for several minutes before returning with a mug of beer.

Varric took it and settled in to start his story. He began, "Before he came to Kirkwall Hawke and his brother served as soldiers in the King's army at Ostagar, they escaped and fled Lothering. They fought a running retreat from their home into the Wilds, before meeting Aveline and her first husband, Wesley. During a battle with an ogre Carver was killed before the survivors were rescued by Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds."

Cassandra interrupted, "Do you really expect me to believe a myth swooped from the sky and saved the Champion?"

Varric raised an eyebrow, "Do I really need to recite the story of the Fifth Blight as well?"

"No," Cassandra said as she thought about it. "It shouldn't come as a surprise that she would be involved."

"As I was saying," Varric continued, "Flemeth destroyed the darkspawn in the form of high dragon and took the group to Gwarren, a journey that took months. I would guess they arrived just after the Heroes of Fereldan returned to Redcliff with the first Ashes. Weeks of waiting followed and what little money Hawke's family had brought with them ran out buying passage on a ship going to Kirkwall, which arrived shortly after the Landsmeet was convened." He took a drink before saying, "Their uncle managed to talk a group of mercenaries into paying for the family's passage into the city, a mage isn't a commodity to be passed up lightly for such an outfit. In exchange Bethany had to work a year for the Red Iron, and Hawke insisted on going with her…"