(Author's Note)

Alright, so it's been a long time, and I mean a really long time since I've updated, and I apologise for that, but I've been extremely busy with school and my part-time job. I've recently picked up writing again, so hopefully it won't be another year and a half before my next chapter. Thanks to everyone who's been so patient, and here you go.


Chapter 3: 3 AM is the Time for Adventure

"You want to go adventuring... Now? At three in the morning?" Anders asked.

"Well, yeah. Why not?" Zach replied.

"Listen, I'd love to, but I have to get back to the clinic. Nights and early mornings are actually the busiest times. Maybe later?" Anders said, a little more condescending.

"Like when?" Zach asked.

"How about any other time during the day?" Anders said, very sarcastically.

"But, I-"

"-I'll see you around, Zach," Anders said, smiling, to which Zach just replied "Fine," with a sour expression on his face.

Zach whirled around and awkwardly walked away. When Zach saw Anders was gone, presumably back to the clinic, he decided on to have this 'adventure' on his own - trying to decide where to go. After wandering around aimlessly for a moment, he made up his mind. He was going to the Wounded Coast. At three in the morning.
After half an hour or so of walking, jogging, running, hiking and skipping (Yes, skipping,) Zach finally got to the Wounded Coast. He strolled around a bit, staff in hand, on the lookout for raiders.

When he reached the shore, he still didn't find anyone. It was totally deserted. Get it? Because he was in a desert. Anyway, Zach decided to take off his shoes and sit where the waves reached his feet, but not much further.

"It's so... peaceful," Zach remarked. "Is it always like this?" He asked no one in particular.

The water was really nice. Half cold, half warm. Zach took off his overcoat and used it as a pillow. He looked up at the stars - they were much brighter here than in the city. Zach scanned the sky for constellations and star signs. The stars seemed to form odd shapes and pictures, but unfortunately none that Zach could make out. He looked a little harder, and finally found something that at least kinda looked like a dragon. Sort of. Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch. Zach admired the stars for a little while longer before his eyelids became heavy and he decided to take a nap.

Zach woke up about four hours later, in the exact same spot. He did a quick scan of his surroundings, and made sure he still had all his things. After he checked, he decided to head home. When he got to the Lowtown bazaar, he ran into Carver and Varric.

"There you are! Zach, where have you been?" Carver shouted.

"I, uhh... Went out to buy supplies..?" Zach hesitated - he didn't lie often, and when he did he wasn't any good at it.

"Are you telling us or asking us?" Varric mocked. He knew exactly where Zach was. Well, he thought he knew.

Zach scowled at Varric and replied "Yes," to which Varric replied by asking where Anders was.

"I don't know. Probably at his clinic. He left shortly after our chat last night." Zach looked away. Varric then realized something went wrong, but left it at that.

Zach, Carver and Varric went to fetch Aveline before leaving for the daily routine. Aveline needed a favor - something about an ambush on Sundermount. On the way they took out a few Flint Company mercenaries, killed a few spiders and scavenged the remains of some or other wrecked caravan.
The whole way, Zach had his mind elsewhere. Carver and Aveline was on the front lines, but Varric was right next to Zach and noticed something was off.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" Varric asked, but Zach either ignored him or didn't hear him.

"Hey, Grumpy!" Varric yelled, throwing Zach with a pebble.

"I'm just tired, Varric," Zach said, sighing. "That is what a night of, well, not sleeping will do to you."

Varric eyed him wearily. "Okay, then. I believe you."

Aveline interrupted the conversation with a quick comment on the highwaymen they just killed; That they were a bit too well equipped for bandits. That, which led to Aveline wanting to talk to the Guard-Captain, which led to other things, which led to other things.
Anyway, after their little "quest", Zach got a letter from Meeran saying that he got a job for him from some guy named "Anso"... And knowing Aveline, Zach knew she wouldn't want anything to do with Meeran or the Red Iron, but he needed the backup.

So he went to ask Anders.

Now, after their previous encounter, Zach wanted to be careful to not say or do anything that might scare Anders away. Again.
When Zach entered the clinic, he didn't see Anders. Instead, he saw a bunch of sick and hurt people. He wanted to leave and go look for Anders, but it was against his nature to leave these people like they were. Zach knew how to heal wounds, and knew something about diseases, so he took his knowledge and tried to help who he could.

He mended a bunch of broken bones, healed a stab wound here and a burn mark there and issued a few potions and lotions to the ill and the injured. He had just finished with seven patients when Anders returned.

"What the... Zach..?" Anders mumbled.

He scanned over the people who were healed, and the ones who were being healed, then looked at Zach in bewilderment.

"Did you... Did you do all this? While I was out?" He asked, still amazed.

"Well, yeah. I came looking for you, but you weren't in. I wanted to leave to go look for you, but I just couldn't leave these people to suffer..." Zach said, making it sound like no big deal.

"Thank you," Anders said, putting his bag down. "I was worried about them. I ran out of supplies and I needed some really badly, so I figured a quick stop into town..." He drifted off.

After a detailed explanation of why he was out, Anders realised Zach was still listening and stopped mid-sentence. "Sorry, I got a bit caught up in my own story. You said you were looking for me?"

"Yeah. I, uhh, sort of need your help with this one job. It's something I know Aveline will definitely not help me with, and, well, I need the backup..." Zach said, trying not to use terms like 'shady merchant in Lowtown at night,' 'mercenary job nobody else wanted to take,' or 'They pay well so we're probably gonna die.'

"Sure, definitely. I'll have the time to, anyway, since you probably halved the amount of work I have." Anders said, smiling.

"Great! It's a night job, so, you can probably finish up before we have to do it, anyway. I've arranged with Carver and Varric to meet up at the Hanged Man at seven." Zach said, getting his things.

"See you then," Anders mumbled, still in awe of Zach's apparent healing abilities.