"Bartrand, I'm telling you, we need a partner."

"And I'm telling you, that we already have enough people." Varric looked at his brother and crossed his arms in disapproval. "You got anything else to add? If not, then sod off!"

"You're so ignorant." Varric was leaving when his brother through a small pebble at the back of his head.

"And you're just a story teller."

He now had Varric's attention but instead of getting the upset reaction Bartrand was slightly hoping for. He got, instead, a bow from his brother and smile. "Proudly dear brother. Good luck finding the funds." As he left he heard Bartrand make a huff and it put a slight smile on his face. He didn't walk far when he heard a woman's voice.

"Hey!" He turned around and saw that someone was apparently not as stealthy as they thought.

Varric grabbed Bianca and shot an arrow carefully into the leather of the idiot's vest. "I knew a guy once who could take every coin out of your pockets just by smiling at you...but you? You don't have the style to work hightown let alone the merchant's guild." He took the coin purse away from the thief and continued, "You might want to continue a new line of work." Then he punched him just before letting him go. He turned around with the coin purse and saw two women heading his way. 'One looks a bit too innocent to scream in the middle of hightown 'Hey' it must be the rogue. So I just saved a beautiful lady's coin purse. I wonder if she would be able to help with the expedition...' He tossed the coin purse to the rogue. "How do you do? Varric Tethras at your service. I apologize for Bartrand..." 'At least that's who I think they were talking to, why else would they be over there?' "He wouldn't know an opportunity if it hit him in the Jaw."

"But you would?"

"I would! What my brother doesn't realize is that we need someone like you..." 'I hope I have the right person...good looks, duel weapons, walks with another woman a little taller than her...It HAS to be Hawke...' "He would never admit it either...he's too proud. I however, am quite practical."

"You're part of Bartrand's venture?"

"That's right, the deep roads wouldn't normally be my thing, but I can't afford the head of our family to go down there alone." 'Sadly enough...' "So as you can imagine I have more than a passing interest in this expedition." He smiled slightly.

"Well, what makes you so certain we can help?"

"An Honest question, I will give you that. However, you've made quite the name for yourself over the last year. Serving with the red iron is no small feat. yet you not only served but you impressed. The name Hawke is on many lips these days." 'Maker I hope I have the right person.'

"You're going awfully far out of your way for another guard..."

'No Denial...good...' "We don't need another hireling we need a partner. Truth is, Bartrand has been tearing his beard out trying to fund this on his own but he can't do it. Fifty sovereigns and he can't refuse. Not with me to vouch for you."

"Why would you stick your neck out for a complete stranger?"

"I'd rather take my chances with someone with your reputation than head into the deep roads unprepared...and besides we'd be your partners. I'd be willing to give a little trust if you are."

And there their adventure began.

"Hawke, can I ask you something?" Varric looked at his friend digging her daggers into the large spiders as if they were the most evil thing in the world.

"Sure Varric, it's not like I'm busy or anything." She replied with a smile as she cut off the legs of a poisonous spider.

He laughed and gave a finishing shot to the same spider. "Are you afraid of spiders?"

"Oh I don't know Varric...I was just thinking about keeping one as a pet. maybe it could fetch my slippers or perhaps make me some tea. It has eight legs after all."

"Good point Hawke! Maybe I'll get one." Hawke starting running towards Varric with her weapons out ready to attack, "Hawke I was just Kidding what are you..." Hawke pushed him down and started attacking what she could only guess to be the mother spider. It was much larger than the rest. and it's mouth was about big as Varric's whole body. Staring up in disbelief that With Hawke's size she was actually succeeding in taking down this mammoth of a spider. Not only that but that it was right behind him and he wouldn't have noticed before it was too late.

When she dug both of her daggers into it's head, it was finally dead and gone. "Varric, are you okay?" Hawke came over and held out a hand to him. She noticed the obvious shock and that he was looking up at her in amazement and if his Jaw had dropped any lower it would be on the ground. "Varric?"

"Y-Yeah, you surprised me that's all." He looked back at the giant dead spider. "How did I not notice that behind me."

"Truthfully I have no idea. I was afraid it was going to swallow you at any minute." She joked at her dwarf friend.

"Thank you Hawke, I'm sorry about that."

"Sorry about what?"

"Well...for starters I'm sorry about thinking there was anything worth being attacked by giant spiders. Also I'm sorry that I was in the way of you attacking that behemoth."

Hawke smiled, "Varric, I pushed you down not because you were in the way...well you were...but I pushed you down to get you out of the way of it biting you. You were about to be spider food."

"Just wait until I tell this story." Varric smiled at her and tapped the back of his hand on her arm. "Not only did Hawke manage to face ninety-nine spiders but she finished off the biggest one that was as tall as a dragon!"

Hawke started walking out of the caves with Varric as she giggled, "Oh come on Varric, it wasn't as big as a dragon. It was probably as big as the Arishok. Oh no...you don't suppose we killed HIS pet do you?" She found a few of Varric's arrows on the way out and picked them up. When they finally made it out she shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'll know soon enough right?"

"Right...say Hawke..."

"Yes Varric?" She looked at him and he noticed something was off.

"When you attacked that last spider...did it bite you, or possibly drool on you?"

"I'm...not entirely sure why?"

"Your skin is looking paler than usual. Maybe we should go see Blondie in darktown."

She looked at her skin and noticed Varric was right. She was pale, but this looked almost like she was dead...or close to it. "Maybe you're right." They left the cave and met up with Fenris and Isabella.

"Hey Broody, Hawke isn't feeling too well, do you mind taking her to see Blondie?"

"YOU want ME to take Hawke to a mage for help?"

"Would you rather I have Rivaini do it? as it stands I could probably pick her up but carrying her all the way there if it's necessary...I'm too sure I can do that."

"What exactly happened in there?" Fenris had crossed his arms in irritation. "You told us if we let the two of you go in there would be no problem."

"You have a fair point. Fine, I will walk behind her and you walk at her side." Fenris began walking and grabbed Hawke's arm so she would be in front of him and told her to try her best.

"Thank you Varric, Thank you Fenris." She smiled at Isabella who seemed a little more than irritated. "Isabella the reason why they won't let you take me is because you would do more flirting with Anders than actually trying to help me get better."

"I...can't deny that..." She giggled.

After a while they finally made it back to Darktown and Hawke had a few close calls, but she still managed to prop her self up using Fenris' shoulder. They reached Anders' Clinic and luckily he just finished up with a patient, but that didn't hide the anger behind his eyes. "What the hell did you do Varric!?"

"Hey I didn't do anything. I think she might have been bitten or drooled on by a gigantic poisonous spider. It was so much bigger than the rest of them."

"Don't spin your stories at me Dwarf!"

Hawke shot Anders a glare that was practically felt by everyone in the room. The other patients left and she tried walking forward without the help of Fenris. "He is telling the truth Anders. Now are you going to help me, or are you going to continue to place blame where it doesn't belong?"

She got on the table on her stomach so he could check her back first. "I'm...I'm sorry Hawke..."

"Don't say sorry to me say sorry to Varric. You insulted his story telling talent. If he were making a fabrication he would say something like...oh I don't know... 'Not only did Hawke manage to face ninety-nine spiders but she finished off the biggest one that was as tall as a dragon!' Or something like that." She smiled and looked at Varric who looked pale himself but it wasn't from a spider bite or anything like that. she couldn't quite place what it was. The best thing she could describe the strange, unfitting look of her trusty dwarf was that he was sick with worry. "The rest of you can go I want Varric to stay."

"Hawke I'm going to have to examine you...are you sure it's best for Varric to stay here?"

"I may look sickly but it hasn't reached my mind yet. Yes, I want him here."

Anders sighed, "Fine then perhaps he could sit in that chair over there."

Hawke nodded at Varric that it was okay to go sit over there and he did as she wished without hesitation.

'What in the world could've happened to her. I watched the whole thing...could I have missed something?' Varric's mind reeling with the events that happened, when he remembered that out of no where he heard the sound of an arrow go past him. He saw it next to Hawke who was fighting one of the many spiders so he paid it no mind and he did attack the shooter...who will no longer be shooting anything. He didn't bother to check the tip or the feathers. "Blondie, instead of looking for anything spider related could you look at the back of her left shoulder?"

"Finally figured it out did you Varric?" Hawke said weakly. "I didn't want you to get worried and then eaten by a spider. That is Sooo not the way my trusty dwarf is going to die."

"Well Blondie...what is the verdict?"

Anders had been able to get to the arrow hole and noticed that it did have spider venom in it. "There are two types of poison in her. Unfortunately because of the spider venom I can't identify the other poison. I will help you take her back to her house or you can take her back to the hanged man to your place. However, I doubt the stress of being around her uncle will help her healing."

"You're right. I'll take her back to my place...do you mind carrying her for me? She is too tall for me and I doubt I would make it far." For once in Varric's life he was ashamed to be a dwarf.

"Of course. let me just close the clinic."

Anders carried a sleepy and weak Hawke to Varric's room and set her down. "I gave her some medicine that will stop the poison. I will be by tomorrow to help draw it out."

"Thank you Anders." Anders nodded and walked out. "Hawke...you okay?"

"I feel like a giant mabari is sitting on my chest." She laughed and put her hand over her chest. "Ow...okay, not laughing ever again."

"Awe don't say that Hawke, How am I supposed to write about your enormous amounts of witty humor if you don't laugh every now and again."

There will be another chapter I promise. It's not over yet I promise! Please tell me what you think! PLEASE REVIEW! :) :) :) :)