The Warden walked to the front of the tavern. This had to be the place given the upside down man hanging outside. Hanged Man indeed. She shook her head.
"Well this is no Pearl heh heh" her dwarven traveling companion and one of her oldest friends chuckled next to her.
Shrugging Amalya looked down at Oghren. "But then what is? But you are right, I doubt we are going to find anyone as accommodating as Sanga in here."
"heheh three greased nugs and a pirate wench…" Oghren continued to chuckle at her.
Smacking his shoulder, but with a laugh Amalya said "Let's go dwarf."
Walking inside the first thing Amalya thought was how every damned tavern in the world looked and smelled the same. Saw dust on the floor, the odor stale wine, bad beer and piss filled the air and a barman swiping the inside of a mug with a rag so filthy he was absolutely doing more harm than good.
"Ask at the bar?" Oghren suggested when they did not see their quarry inside the main room.
"If you are that anxious to be lied to I can always call in Sigrun to tell you how much she adores you to little bitsy bits." Grinned Amalya having rather enjoyed that forfeit she got out of the young dwarf during a particularly long game of Wicked Grace.
"Cruel, Warden, very cruel." Oghren groaned.
Neither one had noticed the amount of attention they were garnering. Nor would they have cared. As the Hero of Ferelden and one of her trusted companions they were used to attention wherever they went. They also did not notice when one young templar slipped out the door in a hurry.
"Upstairs." She jerked her head towards the staircase. "If he is anywhere in here it is up there."
With a nod Oghren followed his commander up the staircase. A few looked like they might try to stop them, or at least question them, but when Oghren's hand dropped to his weapon they let the two pass without comment.
Upstairs they found several rooms. No prostitutes which only further cemented in Oghren's mind they were in the wrong place, but several patrons who looked like they may actually live here.
In one open door Amalya stopped for a moment. It looked like it had been furnished straight out of Orzammar. "Can I help you?" asked a voice from within. Looking around Amalya noticed a beardless dwarf on a rather ornate chair. Not quite a throne… but close.
"No, sorry, I just haven't seen furnishing like this since the last time I was in Orzammar, I was feeling a bit nostalgic..." Amalya started to wave the dwarf off and continue on her way when he stopped her.
"Nostalgic? For tunnels filled with body odor and nugshit?" The dwarf laughed.
"And dangerous pools of lava, don't forget those. Always a joy wondering if good natured jostling was going to singe the face off of your skull." Amalya returned his easy smile.
"And those vaulted ceilings!" he snorted.
"A friend of mine once commented that dwarves must own an impressive array of ladders." She entered the room when he waved her in. There was something about this man she could not help but like.
"Have a seat, you sound like someone I should know." He poured her a mug of ale. Looking at it suspiciously, she had dwarven ale once and did not care to repeat the experience.
"It isn't poisoned" he grinned at her.
"That's what they told me about the last dwarven ale I drank. The poison would have been easier to swallow.
"Well this is just plain old ale. It is bitter and unpleasant. In other words a damned site better than dwarvish ale." They both laughed.
"Varric" he said holding out a hand "Varric Tethras."
Why did that name sound so familiar she wondered "Amalya Amell."
"By the Maker, you are the Hero of Ferelden?" he looked stunned.
"That's the rumor." She grinned.
"Well I'll be… now I know you are someone I want to know. Too bad someone already wrote your memoir." He looked genuinely put out by this.
"Wait… Tethras… didn't you write a pretty popular series of books? I had a hell of a time keeping them in stock for my wardens." she remembered suddenly the dwarf author who had her entire fortress in an uproar waiting for another installment of his novels."
"Well I'll be the Ferelden wardens actually read my writing." He grinned. "So what brings the Hero of Ferelden to our neck of the woods. You aren't the usual sort of refugee we get here."
"Warden business." She hesitated.
"In other words none of my damned business?" he did not seem offended.
"There is someone I don't want to know that I am in town." She finally admitted.
"You sure aren't the first." She did like his easy going way.
They were both startled when a woman rushed in the door. "Varric, the templars are on their way and that Knight Captain is leading them." She stopped short when she saw Amalya.
"Warden?" she looked surprised and pleased to see Amalya.
"Isabella?" Amalya jumped up to hug the other woman "Last I heard you had set sail and were terrorizing the northern coasts."
"Trouble with Qunari kept me here." Isabella told her holding her out at arm's length. "You look good for a dead woman. I was sure that damned Blight was going to kill you."
"I hope you didn't lose too much coin betting on me to die." Amalya laughed.
"Betting on friend's to die is just tacky! I bet on YOUR friends to die." They both laughed at this as Oghren leaned up against the door looking amused.
"I'll be dipped, Isabella, you really DO know the Hero of Ferelden." Varric seemed genuinely surprised.
Isabella looked at him amazed. "You thought I lied?"
"Yeah, because lying is so beneath you, wench." Muttered Oghren from the door.
"Quiet dwarf" she looked over at him with a warning.
"Well, Warden all we need now is a few greased nugs."
Both women told him to shut up. "That is a story I need to hear." Laughed Varric.
Commotion downstairs stopped their merriment for a moment. "Shit," spat Isabella "I forgot, Templars on their way here. Knight Captain."
Oghren and Amalya looked at each other "I am sure this is about me. I will assure them I am no threat, no runner from the circle and this will be over in a few minutes."
Stepping down stairs with Oghren, Varric and Isabella on her heels Amalya entered the room full of confidence. Until she saw the man standing at the door. Then she wanted nothing so much as she wanted to run.
"Isabella" she whispered "the man at the door. Is that the Knight Captain."
"Yes that is…" Isabella got out nothing more as Amalya finished descending the stairs nearly in a trance. She finally stopped in the middle of the room looking at the man who had watched her descend the stairs in a state of denial himself.
Clasping her hands in front of her to control any nervous tremor she finally managed to choke out "Knight Captain, I assume you are here to question me?"
Shaking himself slightly Cullen looked in to the eyes of the woman he was certain he would never see again. He could not deny how good she looked. The warden life seemed to agree with her. She had always been self assured. Even almost cocky, but that was now clearly tempered with experience and wisdom.
"Commander." He finally managed "We had not received word you would be arriving in Kirkwall."
Normally she would have told him her comings and goings were none of the Circle's business but this was Cullen. While he was probably married now with children he was still the only man she had ever loved and that deserved some sort of civil response.
"I did not know you were here Cullen or I would have sent word. I am certain we could have come to an understanding." What she meant was she could have managed to avoid him. Seeing him was still too painful.
Realizing he could not stand in the doorway forever, Cullen finally came forward and sat at one of the tables motioning to the seat across from him. Hesitating only a moment Amalya sat down. The last thing she wanted to do was pretend to have a normal conversation with him.
"How long are you here for?" he asked quietly, trying to memorize every feature on her face. There were some small scars he did not remember from before.
"Not long, there is some warden business I have to take care of." She wanted to ask how he had been since the Circle, but couldn't quite dare. Especially not in front of strangers.
"Does this have anything to do with the apostate warden?" he was hoping she would drag that bastard off before he became more of an issue.
Looking down at the table she whispered "Is that how you see me, Cullen? An apostate?"
He looked startled "No… I… he is an ex-warden though, right? So he is an apostate."
"There are no ex-wardens Cullen. Once you are in, it's for life. We don't revoke privileges. If someone commits a serious enough offense we… take care of it." She looked him in the eye when she said this. It was almost chilling.
"Is that your plan here?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Cullen, I can't share what I am doing here with you. I am in enough trouble with Weisshaupt. Outsiders, especially Templars wanting to be involved in Warden business would be trouble I just don't need." Plus, if what she had learned was correct, she could not let Cullen anywhere near Anders. It would bring up memories that would be too painful for both of them. And may very well push Cullen over the edge.
"I have to tell Meredith something." He said
"Tell her to leave my King alone. That would be a damned fine start." Amalya had heard all about Meredith ambushing Alistair with accusations of allowing mages to run wild. By which she was certain the Knight Commander meant her. Bitch.
Right, thought Cullen. Alistair Therin, King of Ferelden and reported lover of the Hero of Ferelden. "Of course. King Alistair, I am surprised I didn't see you when he visited before. I hear you two are inseparable."
Did he sound jealous she wondered? "King Alistair is a fellow warden and a dear friend Cullen, but we are hardly inseparable."
He stood up suddenly "I will tell Meredith you are here on warden business and won't be in the city long. Let the chantry know if you require anything Warden Commander."
She watched him stalk out puzzled.