The day after they were free from work, the Hawke siblings scoured Hightown for further employment. The closest they got to landing a job was when a dwarf by name of Varric Tethras promised partnership in an expedition to the Deep Roads—if they had fifty sovereigns to invest in the voyage.

After about two months, Raven and Carver had managed to earn around twenty-five sovereigns… but the odd jobs they'd completed to gain said money had landed them in the strangest situations. Fortunately, those misadventures introduced Raven to people—acquaintances who quickly became friends—that vowed to help them gain the money to go on the expedition.

One day, when Raven was sitting at home with her Mother, drinking tea and wearing new clothes that they were now able to afford, the older woman leaned forward and declared, "You know, love, I really appreciate you and Carver spending some of your hard earned money to get us a few things we used to have in Lothering."

"I'm glad to do it," Raven grinned, setting her mug on the small table. "It's only fitting that we spend some of the money we receive on the home."

Mother chuckled and exclaimed, "It might not be for much longer. I've an audience with the viscount after Bartrand's expedition leaves!"

"Really?" gasped Raven, her bright blue eyes flying wide. All the exhaustion she had been feeling vanished like smoke upon hearing these words. "That's wonderful, Mother!"

"Isn't it? Perhaps soon, you and Carver can live where I grew up…"

Raven's Mother trailed off with a hopeful and wistful expression on her face. That expression vanished when she glanced around the shack that Uncle Gamlen called home and snorted slightly. "It'll certainly be a much better sight for you and Carver than this dump. Not to mention I think poor Brutus is getting bored."

Raven glanced over to the doormat upon which the mabari was sleeping… as the dog dreamed, he started kicking with his back legs, making both women laugh. Brutus was a restless soul—always had been and always would be, of that, Raven was sure.

She also wanted to be sure that Mother would win back the Amell Estate from the slavers that had bought it, but realistically, she wasn't certain that would happen. That was the trouble with politics; even if a cause was right and correct, money would always tip the scales.

If, however, Raven ended up finding treasure in the Deep Roads, then she would have enough money to purchase the life she, Mother, and Carver should have had when first they entered Kirkwall.

"And darling, I've been meaning to ask you—who are all these strange people you and Carver traipse about the city with? A few of them have stopped by the house, but I've never engaged in more than small conversation with them."

Raven laughed, seeing why her Mother might've been alarmed. After all, the people she and her brother had befriended included but were not limited to: a sarcastic dwarf, an apostate Grey Warden, an ex-pirate, an elvish blood mage, an elvish ex-slave, an exiled prince, and a city guard of Kirkwall.

"Worry not, Mother. They're just a bunch of misfits. My bunch of misfits." Raven smirked and shook her head at the thought of her friends.

Mother seemed comforted by her daughter's response, although quite a bit of curiosity was still on her face. Cocking her head sideways, she then asked, "So what do you think about them? Carver has told me of his… opinions, but I'd like to hear your perspective."

Raven nodded slowly. "Very well. Who would you like to hear about first?"

"How about that dwarf that's hired you and Carver to the expedition?"

The young woman snickered. There was so much she could say about the man. She thought about all the things she had thought and undergone with him… After a moment of thought, Raven said aloud, "Varric has proven to be a good friend. He's very helpful, and accepting, and a fantastic listener. He has his hands in everything. It's rather impressive, really. But he uses that power to protect all of our friends. Besides, I don't know what Carver and I would be doing without him."

Mother nodded approvingly, a brief spark in her aged eyes. The wrinkles around them seemed to lessen a little as she followed with, "How about the others? What do you think of them?"

Raven took a moment to think of all she wanted to say about her friends. Eventually, she spoke her mind:

"Aveline's Aveline… I mean, you know how she is. She's frighteningly loyal, even though she doesn't quite approve of some of the things Carver and I were hired to do. She's… understanding, capable, and truly dependable. You know how rare that is in this city. She's good to have around.

"Anders is—he's an interesting character. He's quite skilled at living how he wants to. And… well, I can tell you, because we—we have personal experience with the struggle. He's trying to liberate the mages of Kirkwall. He's selfless; always hoping to set free another mage or heal the wounds of another refugee. He's an incredibly passionate advocate for mage rights—dangerously so. In fact, it's rather hard to restrain him when templars are nearby. But it's worth having him around. After all, he is the one who gave me the maps to the Deep Roads.

"Fenris doesn't get along with Anders. At all. You should see me trying to mediate those two, Mother. Honestly, it's awful. Anyway… Fenris escaped from a horrid magister master from Tevinter. He believes that mages should be in the Circle, but… somehow, he's been quite understanding towards my own situation. Even though I'm a mage—and trust me, that did put a damper in our relationship at first—we've had good conversation about starting new lives and helping each other settle down in Kirkwall.

"My ex-pirate: Isabela. What a fun, free-spirited individual! She does her best to separate herself from the burden known as responsibility. She doesn't talk about her past much, but if I find myself in need of a friend to drink with, Bela's always my first choice.

"Merrill is a cinnamon roll. She's Dalish, you know, trying to regain some elvish history for her people. Her intentions are good, but the means by which she's trying to find answers are not to my taste. I can look past it, though… Merrill's precious. She trusts in people easily and always chooses to look on the best side of things.

"Now—last and not least, Sebastian Vael. I don't believe I've ever met a more well-to-do man. He's an exiled prince from Starkhaven who dedicated his life to the Chantry. I know he's always trying to be charitable—I've heard from Anders that he spends a lot of time donating food and clothes to refugees in Darktown. He's great for conversation, and an astounding archer. Out of the whole lot, he's one of two voices of reason. Honestly, without him and Aveline around, I think I'd go crazy."

Throughout her spiel, Mother had been laughing and listening intently. It was clear, from the brightness in her eyes and newfound youth to her face, that she was beyond joyous to hear how well Raven was settling into Kirkwall. Even if her friends were a little bizarre, her Mother seemed no less than delighted to hear about them. With a chuckle, she said, "Well, Carver told me things quite differently. Yet I am not terribly surprised. He has always been… resentful that we left Lothering."

Raven knew this too. Carver would've rather tried to fight for Lothering, if they'd had the templars or militia or even mabari to do so. He had grown bitter after being forced to leave their childhood home for a place of squalor and constant fear of the templars, who were always searching for apostate mages like Raven.

"I know. But we could have done much worse than this," replied Raven. She looked at the hearth she and her mother were sitting around and sighed, "Things could've been better too, however."

Mother chuckled and placed a hand on her daughter's arm. Her eyes were bright-blue, just as Raven's were… but as they looked at each other for a while, Mother's eyes began to well up with tears.

"I don't know whether to be grateful that we are here, or sorry that we are here while Bethany is not," she gasped, lowering her gaze.

Raven swallowed past the lump in her throat and got up from the seat, wrapping her arms around her Mother. For the year and odd some months since they had fled the Blight, Raven couldn't help but think back on the moment often and wonder whether or not there had been something she could've done. She knew Carver often thought the same.

Even so, Raven also knew she couldn't let those thoughts drive her every waking hour. What happened was done, and the best she and her family could now do would be to strive to live the way Bethany would've wanted them to.

Of course, Mother had a harder time accepting this. Despite all the times Carver had attempted to convince her to move on, she couldn't. All Raven could do during times like these was embrace her and try to remind her that there was still plenty more to live for, whether it felt like it all the time or not.

It took a while, but at last Mother's tears dried. Raven handed her a handkerchief and watched as she dabbed her face lightly. When at last Mother was able to speak again, she sniffed and said, "Thank you, Raven, for all you are doing. I will always be so proud of you and Carver."

Raven smiled and hugged her again. It was always nice to simply speak to her Mother and have a few moments to spend time with the family she was so dedicated to protecting.