Lowyn Tabris couldn't say what she hated most about being a twin. Part of it, she was certain, was people's assumption that sharing a womb had somehow granted her and her brother mystical powers. Part of it, of course, was sharing everything else after that; food, clothes, blades, father and somehow this joint reputation they'd forged for themselves. At the top of the list, however, written in letters that would blaze across the parchment, was Leofric's constant insistence that he was the eldest and that this random bit of timing made him their unequivocal leader.

According to her father's worn out tale, the Tabris twins had entered the world squalling, faces as red as their hair, Lowyn clutching Leofric's foot. This had always been a point of pride for her brother, as though her clutching his foot was a sign that he was the better of the Tabris twins and not just a quirk of the birthing room.

She often found herself wondering how different things would've been if he'd been clutching her foot.

Would she, for instance, have gotten them involved with that loose bowstring Tulsan and ended up turning tricks for pay they couldn't even spend? Would she, as an offhand example, ever have blithely accepted a job from a suspicious man she'd only just met? It was a matter of caution.

Thieves shouldn't advertise.

Leofric, her darling brother, had no such illusions. She'd seen him, down at the Pearl, running his mouth like a get-away cart, surrounded by his so-called friends; that good for nothing Hedric and that deranged shem Osgar. Mother had not trained them so they could swan around boasting of it. She'd been a practical woman, much more like herself than Leofric. Caution, child, she'd always said to Lowyn. Have caution in all that you do and watch the plans of your enemies unravel.

Mother always said he should trust in his guts and Leofric wasn't a man to ignore his mother's sage advice. A woman of wisdom that one, deep as the sky at night and as boundless as the stars. Maker, bless her soul. If only his sister was such a bountiful harvest of knowledge. He glanced over at her, slouching in her empty corner, gave her a dashing smile despite the glare he received. She would be so much prettier if she just smiled, he thought, after all she is my twin.

"Are the two of you...related?" the hooded man drawled, tapping his fingers on the desk in a rhythm that spoke of impatience.

"My sister," Leofric smiled, leaning back in his chair in a way he assured himself was both cat-like and elegant. Then suddenly feeling the need to explain himself to the silence, he shifted to rest his elbow on the table and leaned in close. "She is," and here he whispered, like to share a secret, "an utter bitch."

The laughter from the hood was lyrical, full of foreign sunsets and sunny shores. Leofric was sure the accent was Antivan, would have bet his sister on the fact. It stopped, sudden as a knife in the chest.

"Tulsan did not inform me you would come as a pair," again the man's fingers tapped against the wood.

Leofric weighed each word but the man kept his cards close. He did not seem angry. Leofric had tried to escape his blighted sister's evil eye but she was stuck to him like an angry shadow. "I hope this is not displeasing to you, sirrah."

"Perhaps it is not," the man mused. Leofric could tell little about him, except that the fabric of his cloak was a costly cloth and gems glittered on his fingers like oversized bugs on a plant. He was older than Leofric, but his only skin on show was his hands and they moved so quick that Leofric had no chance to guess their age. "She is onboard I take it?"

She will be when I tell her the pay. "Of course, she is just," he broke off, gave the man a charming smile. "Not a people person."

"I can use you both," the man muttered, clicking his fingers together in sudden decision. "If you're as good as Tulsan says you are."

"Oh, I am much better than that."

"Lo', you've got to be reasonable about these things!" Leofric hissed in her ear as they made swift progress through the nameless back alleys. She ignored him, pacing onwards furiously, eyeing some louts who were eyeing them from across the street. When one of them hailed Leofric, by name, by his actual name, she seethed forwards, shaking her head in utter contempt.

She refused to stop while he wagged his useless chin. Their laughter sounded off the high walls and she bit her cheek as she pounded onwards. What an idiot.

He caught up with her, breathless at the open gates of the Alienage. "Come on, Lo'," he panted. "Don't be such a boor, this could be our shot..."

She whirled on him as soon as they were out of the sight of the guards. No need to wish trouble on themselves but she could only restrain herself for so long. "Are there worms living in your brain, brother or were you just born stupid?"

"Oh come on 'Lo, I told you..."

She punched him, hard enough to deaden his arm but he just shrugged it off.

"He was a Crow," Leofric finished anyway, but much, much quieter. Even he had enough sense not to go shouting that sort of business in the street. "This could be it, Lo', our big break, our way out of this dump," he waved his hands at the shacks of the alienage. "I didn't tell you how much he's paying..."

It was how these things always played out. He got them the lucrative jobs and she whined and whinged like a baby about every single one. He was tired of his sister's litany of complaints, tired of dragging her around like a scowling corpse. She'd cave eventually, after mulling over the money in their stashes and counting every damned copper in her head like a wizened old miser. An apology though? Pah, he'd not hold his breath.

Lowyn stopped as home came into view and he heard her curse under her breath.

"What is it?" he muttered coming up beside her, still flexing life back into his arm.

"Father's still awake," she indicated the candlelight glinting from the slats of their shack. "Perhaps we should..."

"Are you scared of breaking curfew? Daddy's little princess." Leofric stalked ahead, squaring his shoulders. He never missed a chance to remind his sister that he was the elder, the braver, the stronger. He heard her sigh and scamper after him.

Father was awake, of course, and there was no way of avoiding that disapproving stare of his, so Leofric burst headlong into the fray, expecting to have to defend himself with his sharp wit and his most dazzling smile.

But Father was placid and even gave him a warm grin. Leofric couldn't help thinking this was somewhat worse than disapproval. "My beautiful children," his wizened face beamed up at them as he and Lowyn packed themselves into the tiny room. "And where have you been at this hour? Causing trouble I expect," there was a fondness in his old man's voice that set Leofric's suspicions on edge.

"We are sorry, papa," Lowyn muttered from behind him. "We were out with friends."

"Like you have any friends," Leofric muttered under his breath.

"Children," their father cut across them both, indicating the ragged rug by the fire with a cough. "Sit with your father. I have something to tell you."

They looked at each other and Leofric saw his own suspicions reflected exactly in his sister's eyes.

Lowyn hesitated, her father was often a kind man but he knew when to punish them. This was hardly how he acted when he found them sneaking into the house in the middle of the night, stinking of booze and cigars and clearly carrying arms. He raised an eyebrow and all at once they were rushing to obey. They may break trifling rules but when their father was serious his word was law. Blood was thicker than water, so the saying goes and Lowyn didn't doubt it for an instant. Family was all she had, after all was said and done.

"I have some important news," their father began once they were settled at his knees. Lowyn gave her brother a sidelong glance and he tugged his lips down in an uncertain frown. Well at least we're as clueless as each other.

"Is everything in order, father?" he asked, the furrows of his pale brow twisted together like knotted bark.

"Oh, yes, my son," their father smirked and Lowyn wondered if she'd ever seen such a look on her father's face. "It is time for my unruly children to settle down, to become adults not just in play but in truth."

"What are you saying..." Leofric's face was a mask of dread, all colour drained.

Father leaned forwards, his face alight with the youth and vigour of a man half his age. "You are not the only ones who have been keeping secrets," he looked at them in turn, his grin half-mad in the firelight. "I have one as well."

Terror stirred in the pit of Lowyn's stomach. How much did father know? Did he know about their base? Did her know about their stash? She tried to remain calm and study his fond smiles. An inkling crept up her spine. "Father..."

"Did you think your childhood would last forever, hmm?" he sat back in his chair, touching his fingertips of his right hand to his left. "I am sorry my children, but all is arranged. Your betrothed will be here tomorrow."

"Betrothed?!" Leofric jumped to his feet.

"Tomorrow..." Lowyn muttered.

Their father nodded, a satisfied grin on his face. "I promised your mother I'd see you married. We knew this would be best, to spring it on you like a trap before you could plot your way out." He dabbed at his eyes with his fingers. "Let me keep my promise."

"This is unforgivable!" Leofric blustered, still standing. "I've got a life to lead, you can't just marry me to some wench from goodness knows where..."

"She's from Highever..."

"...she could be as ugly as sin!"

"I've heard tales of her beauty..."

"Outrageous!" Leofric covered his face with his palms. "Completely..."

"Leo'," she snapped suddenly and he stopped to gape at her. His eyes, the same deep green at hers were flashing with fury but she'd always had the knack of taming the wild beast that seemed to live just below her brother's skin. "We should do as father wishes."

"I won't do it Lo'," he muttered to the ceiling in the darkness of their cramped bunk. "I won't let him marry me off to some stranger."

Lowyn yawned, he knew it was simply to irritate him. "You will."

Leofric bunched up his fist and punched the straw mattress in frustration. "We could run, you know. Get rooms at the Pearl, spend some of the stash..."

"Not an option," she sighed and he felt like climbing down that ladder and slapping her awake. Didn't she see, didn't she care? A wife would ruin everything, he'd never be able to sneak out under some woman's watchful gaze. No doubt she'd be an utter troll, just to kick him in the teeth. He covered his pillow with his head and groaned.

"At least you'll get to stay here," Lowyn said. "I'll probably have to go to Highever with his family..."

"What?!" Leofric hissed, sitting up suddenly, thankful for pillow that muffled the ceilings blow. "Oh brilliant, how am I supposed to turn tricks without you..."

"I didn't think you'd miss me so much," Lowyn hummed, mocking him with every word.

"You're my sister, of course I'll miss you." And more so he'd miss the way she could cut a purse from a man's belt without the target batting an eyelid, miss her skill with poison and poultice and stitches and make-up, miss the damn fine stew she cooked every feastday. "We have to find a way out of this. We're supposed to meet with our hooded Antivan tomorrow!"

He heard Lowyn tut into the darkness, heard the bed creak as she turned over. "This is not some family dinner you can avoid, Leofric. We're getting married."

"Ergh!" He threw his pillow across the room, churlish, but he couldn't help himself. The mess of his life only just begun to make sense, all the pieces of his long mulled over existence fallen into place and now... he was supposed to take a wife!

"The only vow I'll be making is this one," he growled into the darkness. "I am not marrying anyone. Not this...wench father has procured, not the Queen of Ferelden, not even...not even the Empress of Orlais herself."

"Your arrogance is truly boundless," Lowyn muttered but he ignored her.

"Why are you so calm?" he hissed. "You've got it worse, having to traipse off with some northern low-life."

"I always expected it would come," she said. "It will be a fresh start, I can make a new life."

"A new life?! A fresh start?! Have you finally cracked, sister dear," he leaned over the railing of their bunk to stare down at her. "We were about to make our fortune, carve our way out of here on our terms but now you're going to skip off into the sunset with some numbskull and squeeze out a dozen of his whelps?"

"I'll come back on feastdays," she shrugged. "You'll still see me all the time."

"But you're..." he spluttered. "You're an essential part of my team, what about our stashes? What about the hooded Antivan?"

"I'm out, Leo'," she muttered, staring at the underside of the bunk, hands crossed over her chest like a corpse resigned to her fate. "I'm out."

AN: Thank you all for your support for far. You guys are swell! I hope the perspective shifts aren't too confusing, every time we switch perspective there's a line break and it will always switch back to the other Tabris twin. This should only continue for a couple more chapters and then I'll get to whole chapters in their voices. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think :) Best Wishes WB