Stone walls lit orange with the constant flickering of torches, aiding the radiance of the braziers. The ancient hallway ring hollow in spite of recent activity. A young man slowly scans the area infront of him, recognition and relief don his face. A cocky smile freely spreads.
"This part of the deep roads looks familiar."
His dwarven compardre soon follows his vision, looking out through to the hallway, a similar grin gracing him.
"We're back where we started, and in only five days, not bad eh?"
"Could we... slow down? I'm not feeling very well"
The young brunette woman behind them struggles to keep standing, softly swaying with the non exsistant wind.
"I think all of our stomaches are tender right now"
The young man replies.
"I'll wager it was those deep mushrooms we found"
The dwarf agrees, with smug grin, still in place, slowing turning towards the sickly girl.
"No..."
She drops to her knees.
" I... *Gasp*"
Falling to floor.
"Bethany!"
The young man runs to the fallen girl, confusion, shock and worry now possess him.
"It's the blight... isn't it?"
She whispers softly, understanding.
"I'll end up just like Wesley won't I?"
With a hint of acceptance in her voice.
"That's just like you, keeping this to yourself"
Why was his vision blurring? He needed to memorize her face, it's all his fault.
"What could you have done? Swoop to my rescue?"
She let's out a soft, sickly laugh.
"I'm not going to last until the surface, it's coming on faster."
The dwarf steps in, letting his exsistence be known. Sadly.
"We're in the middle of nowhere, There's no way... oh... Sunshine..."
"You'll take care of it won't you, Arthur?"
He looks down to the dying girl, hurt and tears evident in his eyes, unshed. He can't cry for her, not now, not when she needs him to be strong for her.
"You always were a heartbreaker, Bethany"
She softly laughs again.
"And you always make me laugh"
"It's just you now. Take care of mother."
The young man, Arthur looks down at Bethany, then looks away. Slowly drawing the dagger in his back pocket, tears continuously threatening to overcome him. Closing his eyes, he aims the dagger for her heart. Reopening them, to start at the dagger, which will end his sisters existence. Holding his breath, he can feel the dagger entering her, it happened so fast. Why was there blood on his hands? Why Bethany? Why? He releases the grasp on the dagger as soon as he realizes he was still holding it, no longer wishing to keep the damn thing. The dwarf picks Arthur up from his sister's to be slowly decaying body and continues their venture back to the surface.
He was never quite sure how he managed to get to Kirkwall, the city gates greeting him with their stone cold gray. His dwarven counterpart stops in his tracks and looks up to Arthur, whom in turn slows to a stop, looking down to his friend.
"Home, sweet home. Finally."
"Oh."
A mischievous grin plays upon his face.
"I wonder if Bartrand came back to the city. You think I'd be that lucky?"
A sullen look is returned to his lightheartedness.
"Luck hasn't exactly been our strong point so far."
His friend's face falls.
"This is true."
"I'm... sorry about what happened to your sister"
He looks around, trying to find understanding to the situation.
"I should have seen Bartrand's betrayal coming, I'll find the maggot if it is the last thing I do."
Exasperated.
"I imagine you'll be heading home... to tell the family?"
Arthur shakes his head, softly. Still grief stricken.
"I don't have much choice."
"You'll be a wealthy man, Arthur. It wasn't all for nothing."
Varric separates himself from Arthur, giving the young man time alone after their adventure.
"But was the cost worth it?"
He softly whispers to himself. The walk back to the little house in Lowtown, was filled with anxiousness. Not wanting to share the particular news of his sisters fate, after having just finished grieving Carvers.
Playing with the handle on the door, he looks at it. Deep breath. Slowly entering the run-down establishment, he is greeted by the elderly woman running up to him, engulfing him in an embrace.
"Oh! My baby! You made it home!"
She steps out of the embrace, holding him by the forearms, looking into him. Coming to the realization that he is alone.
"Bethany isn't with you?"
A hint of confusion follows, when he looks away from his mother. Softly shaking his head, fighting those tears again.
"No."
She's worried.
"Is she... coming back?"
Tears spring alive in both Mother and Son's eyes with his response.
"I'm sorry, Mother."
Falling to the floor, faster than Bethany had done before. The wailing of a mother who has lost her second child.
A tall blonde man, just above the average height of most at his general age, looks down to the slightly shorter chocolate brunette leaning against him. She wasn't coping with sea travel, the boats struggling against the lap of the waves, pushing them closer to their destination. The two had been friends for years now, she was his Commander and he would readily follow her to the bowels of the deep roads when their time had come.
His eyes soften with brotherly love, she didn't have to follow him, however follow she did. Abandoning Fereldan to the squabbling nobles, and especially their king it seemed. Anders never knew the true story behind his Commander and the King of Fereldan, however the pained look of the King when he saw her the first time in Vigil's Keep was evident.
Commander Elissa Cousland turned her gaze from the swaying ocean and onto the tall mage standing with her, a smile gracing her lips softly. What would she do without him? Anders brings his lips to her ear and in the quietest of voices.
"Are you alright now, Commander?"
She grins back in reply. Looking out to the ocean again muttering how much longer will they be. A laughter in return followed by a few more hours. The brunette groans, and lets out a heavy sigh. As dusk hits the city of Kirkwall, the ship docks. The man leading the woman out of the docks and making their way to Lowtown, brushing past Arthur and Varric on their way to the Hanged Man. Anders and Elissa enter Lirene's Fereldan Imports. Letting go of Elissa, Anders makes his way to Lirene, whilst in conversation Elissa looks at the Fereldan refugee's. It had been nearly 4 years since the blight, since she killed the Arch demon, but still people suffered. Her gaze ran back to Anders and his form returning to her side.
"I can set a clinic up here, help these poor people, perhaps you could help me if you so desire, Elissa."
He looks to her, waiting for her reply.
"Anders, I would love to."
And off they set, towards the free space for a healing clinic, preparing it for the sick and injured. The free area they were able to get was fairly large for such a shoddy area to work in, they had managed to bring their beds when they were out of Vigil's Keep. And little other personal effects, they had begun working on their operation of making it a working clinic. Their beds were in a separate room from the general area however only big enough for their beds. Elissa had found a few sturdy tables would could work for the patients and a place to put their poultices, grinning at each other when it was over they deemed it ready to be opened to the public. Unbeknownst to them how many Fereldan refugee's had been suffering the years since the blight, they became busy with little time for themselves for a break or otherwise.
Soon templars started looking around for this clinic, so to keep Anders an apostate mage safe. They had to develop a secret code, look for the lanterns and the healer will find you.
Arthur Hawke was able to buy back his ancestral home with the earnings made from the Deep Roads, 3 years presently. Daily the young man would check his mail, before heading out to the Hanged Man to meet with Varric and discuss business. Noticing a letter from some mage friends he had aided, earlier.
As he arrives in The Hanged Man, Arthur tells his favorite dwarf about the letter he received. Along with Isabella the three of them leave and make their way towards the Kirkwall Docks.
"What do y' need love? Package delivery?"
Trying her hardest to sound like a merchant, clearly hiding something.
"I'm Hawke, I got a letter from some mage... friends"
She eases up a bit, readily giving Hawke a sheepish smile.
"Ah, I see. Check the back of the board for our... special rates"
"Oh! Cloak and dagger phrases, how about... the queasy crow flies at midnight?"
"How about the smart mouthed Fereldan gets slapped across the face? The board has all the details, should you take care of something just... drop by"
Arthur turns towards the board browsing through the different tasks asked by some. One in particular caught his eye.
Templars here in Kirkwall have been taking harrowed mages, and performing the Rite of Tranquility. My friend had decided to investigate this while I tend to our Clinic, however this friend has been missing for three whole days.
For more information, look for the lanterns, the healer will find you.
How curious, Arthur re-examined the note and decided to make his way to the Clinic. It wasn't hard to find with Varric's ability to know such things, the group of three make their way towards the Clinic. Outside this Clinic are a handful of refugees whom never were able to pick themselves back up from the blight several years ago, guilt slightly plucking at him as he sees these people. They look at him, with a slight threatening stance behind it. They're a bit protective. Arthur's group enters the main body of the Clinic and watch a mage, heal a young boy from what seems to be deathly sickness back to his full health. He slumps down on his chair, exhausted. Arthur uses the mages' break as an opportunity to walk up to and talk to the mage, Anders looks up from his chair to the young man standing before him.
"May I help you sir?"
He asks in a slightly exhausted voice. The man grins and replies quickly.
"I'm here about the friend in trouble, serah."
Anders can't help but find himself smiling at this, he looks to the man eyes filled with hope and eagerness.
"I've been waiting for someone to say that in a while. Come, the Clinic can do without me for a short while."
And with that the mage promptly leaves, following with a slight rushed footsteps behind him.
"And may I ask your name, serah?"
Anders smiles, stopping his strides looks towards the group of people promising to aid him.
"Anders, healer extraordinaire and an apostate."
Arthur grinning at this gestures to himself.
"Anders. My name is Hawke."
He then moves his gesture onto the dwarven companion.
"This is Varric"
The blonde dwarf does a slight bow. The dark haired and skinned lady, barely wearing any clothes at all steps forward.
"And I'm Isabella"
Anders nods at them all.
"I thank you for your assistance with this, I hope we can make it in time for my friend, however."
The group of 4 continue on their journey to find Anders friend, they come across a statue of the late King Cailan. He slides it across and opens up a trap door, he jumps down first, and the other 3 soon follow. The lyrium smugglers in the area soon attack the group, Arthur grabs his great sword withdrawing it from the hold on his back. Gripping with both hands he charges into the fray, slicing at the countless waves of smugglers. Their blood flowing thickly into the ground making a large puddle and bodies littering the floor, he continues on with the short journey. Anders looks at Hawke, clearly impressed with his combat skills.
Eventually they reach the end of the hidden enclave, templars surrounding a young girl dressed in robes. Another templar at the top of the stairs leading towards another exit holding up a brunette woman, her head hanging along with her arms and legs.