Last Moments of Normality
1. Varric Tethras
"No." said the woman, who Varric had deduced from her shiftiness whenever a Templar walked by was a mage, folding her arms.
"Come on! The treasure we find down there could set you up for life! All you need is 50 sovereigns..."
"50 sovereigns?!" the mage practically screamed at him, causing Varric to jump a little. "If I had that kind of money, I wouldn't be living in bloody Darktown!"
"You need to think bigger! There's only a brief window after a Blight where the Deep Roads won't be crawling with darkspawn!"
"I'm NOT dying at the hands of darkspawn after I barely got my family away from them! Find some other foolhardy idiot!" The mage turned and stormed off back to Darktown, as Varric glared at her back and was seriously considering filling her full of arrows. That or calling for the nearest Templar, the darkspawn-bait, nug-humping...
Varric sighed and let out an irritated sigh before walking off in the opposite direction back towards Bartrand. He knew Bartrand wouldn't be able to find enough money to finance the expedition and had been going behind his back to find a partner to help with that. Unfortunately, anyone who might be interested in more riches soiled themselves and ran when they heard about the 50 sovereigns thing.
Varric strolled around the corner and stopped when he saw two people talking to Bartrand. At first, his mind flashed to, "Coterie" and his hand flew to Bianca but then he noticed the two humans talking to Bartrand didn't look well armed enough for Coterie and Bartrand seemed to be yelling at them. And when Varric looked closer, he realized something.
One was Hawke. The same Hawke who had been making a name for himself in the underworld. And, from what Bartrand was saying, Varric deduced that Hawke was certainly keen to go on the expedition. This might be just what he was looking for. Varric smirked and rubbed his chin.
"I know, Bianca. It is a good idea!" Varric grinned, as he headed around the same way Hawke was going to ensure they met. As he came into the open, he noticed some street urchin run past Hawke and bump into him, noticing Hawke's coin purse 'slip' into his pocket. Varric shook his head and readied Bianca, firing a shot into the boy's shoulder and pinning him to the wall.
"You know, I once knew a guy who could take every coin out of your pocket just by smiling at you." This was a lie. Varric knew nobody of that great a prowess.
Varric held out his hand and the urchin dropped the coin purse into his hand without resistance. Varric decided to make this quick, in return.
"But you, you don't have the style to work Hightown, let alone the Merchants' Guild."
In a split second decision, Varric decided he should probably show off his strength a little to Hawke, give him confidence in the mission.
"Might want to find yourself a...new line of work." he smiled, as he punch the urchin across the face and pulled out the arrow with a sly, "Off you go." Sorry, kid he thought to himself, as he approached Hawke.
He threw the coin purse back and spun an arrow nonchalantly, before putting it back in the pouch.
"How do you do? Varric Tethras, at your service."