Split up. V 1.0
Okay so I did actually intend to update the story sooner, but somehow this chapter just seemed to keep growing, so I split it up. The split of the chapter is not why it has gotten that name though; it's the following events of the champions' story.
Added the 24 march: So apparently someone found a way to work around the type 2 error on this page, i should be ableto upload my new chapters now.
They had just finished Anders' funeral. The team stood by his grave, Sebastian and Fenris a bit in the back. The decision to end his life had not been easy for Thea; Anders had saved a lot of people, both unknown and important ones. He had led them to the wardens in the deep roads so they could save Bethany. He had helped Bartrand get back to his own self and of course been the one who healed them all several times, even Fenris. But none of it was excuse enough for what he had done; the magical bomb that utterly demolished the chantry and all the innocent people within.
"Why did he have to do such a terrible thing?" Bethany sobbed and clinged to her sisters' arm. "It is not the action itself that hurts but the fact that he actually intended to kill all those people… He just couldn't keep that spirit within him under control." Thea padded Bethany on the head, she looked down to her other side where Merrill stood – and sobbed too. In the midst of all the horror Thea did find comfort in knowing her love had been spared a similar fate.
It was strange seeing how strong Merrill felt for her fellow mage; he had been the one who had been criticising her demon business the most, aside Fenris, and she was the only one who openly wanted to keep him alive.
"Allow me," Merrill reached into her pocket at started digging a little hole above Anders grave. "Hey cut it out Kitten, that is unrespectable, even I know that!" Isabella gestured to get her away but Thea waved to her to let it go. Merrill slipped an object into the small hole and covered it with the dug up dirt again. "Planting a tree over a grave is a Dalish custom." Merrill told her. "Oh." Isabella looked down at the spot, "well, I suppose the ground was already dug-up, it doesn't look any more messed up now anyway…"
As the others started to leave Thea was left with only her sister and Merrill. "Come on you two, I have to talk to you…" They both let go of each their arm, Merrill switching to hold her hand instead though. "What is it sister?" Bethany asked. Thea looked at Bethany again; her arrival in the fighting had been the happiest thing that had happened to her since she asked Merrill to move in with her. "I want to leave Kirkwall." Thea turned her head away from her sister and looked down on the ground. "What? But where will you go? And what about all your efforts to rise our family name above Lowtown standards?" "Ma vhenan?" Merrill added. "I'm not sure, I want to talk to the others one at the time and see what each of them wants to do now and then decide." "Well, you know me; I follow wherever you go love." Thea smiled back to Merrill, "I know." "If you think it's wise; then go ahead, but why do you say that to us, you know what we are going to do." Thea hugged her sister with her free arm and continued. "You're going back to the wardens?" Bethany smiled and responded; "No way, I'm going with you!" "What? But what about your oath?" "Ah, sister no one among our group keep their oaths you know, I don't need to either. I don't exactly enjoy being a warden, despite their good intentions; what I ever wanted was to just be with my family… That's you or uncle now… I know which I'd pick…" She giggled and wrapped her arm around her sisters' waist in response to the hug. "Are you sure though? They did save you? And wouldn't you just go back to live 'in my shadow' again?" "No, you saved me, had anyone but you been there I would just have been left behind to die – or just killed." "That's not-" "I think it's a great idea!" Merrill interrupted cheerfully. "*sigh* Well, I guess I just have to check in with the others then and call them all out for a meeting. Please don't mention this to any of them, I don't want to alert them before I confront them myself.
***
"You're partners now?" "What? It's not like I'm cheating on you girly." Varric replied. "Oh, I don't mean it like that, it just seemed a little surprising to me…" Thea sat down in front of Varric and Isabela, in Varric's room in the hanged man, their favourite spot in the city. "I have a ship now champ, should I just sail the seas wildly or what did you expect?" Isabella placed three cups filled with a brown fragrant liquid on Varric's table. "Sorry, the moment of surprise caught me off guard; congratulations then." "Well we might not be the most ideal type of partners, but we both have a function that we can work together with. I have the contacts to the Orzammar underground and Isabela's got the ship." While Varric was talking, Thea checked the liquid thoroughly before taking a sib. "It may be risky, but you know us, we handle such matters like a charm!" "A toast then, to partnership!" They all raised their glasses, "just don't put too much into this Varric I'm not about to marry you because of some lyrium." "My only love is still Bianca my dear, you don't have to worry about personal commitment to me, anyway; what about you Hawke? Do you plan to stay on with Daisy?" Thea took a deep breath before revealing her plan, she had been with these people for so many years now, it seemed much more difficult to tell them of the end that awaited than she had thought it would be just minutes ago. "My plans are actually the reason why I wanted to talk about yours…" "Huh, you're usually not one to have a loss of words, and that's coming from me…" Varric looked as worried as he could, still; it looked more like he was about to make a giggle. "I plan on leaving Kirkwall… Bethany and Merrill will both be going with me…" She tightened her grab around the cub.
"Leave? Like I'll never get to see you again!" It was oddly relieving to actually get a reaction from him; somehow it made it a little easier to talk about. "Yes, I have realized that the influence I have gained and the fame that has fallen on my name is not only positive. Both Bethany and Merrill have been kidnapped recently and both were being threatened to be killed... With influence comes a price, I'm not sure I'm willing to pay that price. Not even if it means giving up on the estate." "And what about us! I know you and the kitten are as close as two girls can get to be wives in this land, but do you really have to leave the rest of us behind to keep her safe?" "You're leaving too Isabela, or did I get you wrong?" "Not permanently, no…" An awkward silence fell upon them, both Varric and Isabela kept their gaze planted on Thea's face. "It is not by my wish that we part ways, I was going to ask if you'd tag along, but I don't want to drag you away from your lives… I'm already afraid I'm doing that to Bethany." "Bethany doesn't seem to enjoy that life anyway…" Isabela added, "you know what; if you promise me that we will see you again I will let you, your sister and kitty go." She winked and rose to walk away from them both.
"Varric, I want to meet with the whole party tomorrow at the base of Sundermount, that will be where we depart, whether you like it or not." "You know, when I proposed my idea of partnership back in the day I didn't think it would grow so personal on me to keep it, but you Hawke, you're a special case. Are you sure you won't stay back and kick some templar boot when they arrive again?" Varric smiled and brought Bianca up from behind his chair. "My girlfriend and my sister are both apostates Varric. Even though I wouldn't mind fighting a bit more with you I must face that there is more at stake than my own skin now. They will try to exploit it, and to avoid that I have to leave… Bodhan and Sandal are leaving for Orlais in a few days, they will bring Orana with them too. I wanted to ask you to help my uncle with looking out for the estate while I'm gone, in case I should decide to return." Varric sighed and rose from his chair now too. "You know Hawke, aside myself you're the most determined mind I have ever met… A templar army couldn't keep you from saving a bunch of mages… Tell you what; if you promise me that I will see you again some day I will gladly keep your uncle from selling the mansion again!" "Can I borrow thirty silver?" "If you can-? Why? Don't you have like a hundred sovereigns at home?" "Please?" Varric growled and reached into his pocket and threw the coins at the table. "I still don't get what for!" "Now I owe you thirty silver! You'll get them back one day." "What do you- Ah, I see… Very clever girly, now get out of here before I demand them back!"
They departed and Thea headed for Hightown this time, she caught a glimpse of Isabela robbing the counter while the attendant looked away before leaving the bar.
"I remember Isabela…" Leliana brushed her hand across the picture of her in the book, "from what Cassandra told me she did get a new ship… How long is it since you have seen her?" Varric looked up with a mild disturbance on his face; he didn't like to be interrupted. "She was here half a month ago, the only reason I tell you of our business is because you don't seem to lie when you say that this is personal for you." "If you manage to find the champion with me I won't tell anyone about your work, both our goals are clear; you want money and I my love." "Correction, we both want the champion!" "Why do you say that?" "You want her so you can find your love; I want her because she owes me thirty silver!" "*sigh* would you please stop these jokes and just continue?" "You were the one to interrupt me seeker, but as you wish…"
So that's it, the last part of the chapter will likely be about he same size, but I might split that up too, well I hope you liked this chapter and like where it is going.