Chapter Four:

On the Road

Sarai, Anders, Varric, and Merrill said their goodbyes the next morning, picked up a few supplies from the marketplace, and made their way out of Denerim. Varric did not fail to notice how close Anders and Sarai remained to one another, nor the smiles that passed between them. About time, the dwarf thought. Looks like they finally made up.

Their journey south was uneventful. The weather was fair and no highwaymen appeared to trouble them. With no real destination, they made their way at a leisurely pace. Sarai was enjoying seeing Ferelden again. For all the time she had spent in Kirkwall, the renown she had gained there, Ferelden still felt like home. She let out a happy sigh.

"What are you smiling about?" Anders asked, smiling himself.

"I'm just happy to be back in Ferelden. I never felt safe in Kirkwall."

"You feel safe here?" He replied as his brows drew together. "You haven't forgotten that we're running for our lives, have you?"

"Yes, but the danger isn't immediate. No one is close behind us. I think this is the first time I've felt relaxed since... Well, since Ostagar."

Days passed. They camped each night when the sun began to set, sitting around a fire and letting Varric tell his stories. They posted watches but encountered no trouble. Before long, the Brecilian Forest loomed over them, heavy with shadows. Flickering movements were barely discernible through the veil of trees.

Merrill seemed simply delighted to see the forbidding forest. "Oh! It's just as I remember it. So green and full of life. There's so much energy here, it's almost like blood magic." Her companions exchanged worried glances, as they often did when she brought up blood magic.

The elf-mage was unperturbed. "You know, there are other Dalish clans living in the forest. I wonder if I could find them?"

"What would you do if you did, Daisy?" Varric asked, torn between curiosity and amusement.

"Oh, I don't know. It would just be nice to see my people again. And the halla. Oh, how I miss the halla with their beautiful horns." Merrill's voice grew sad.

"You really miss being among the Dalish, don't you?" Anders asked. His tone was unusually gentle; usually he was harsh with Merrill.

Merrill looked up with her wide green eyes. "I do. Knowing I can never go back to my clan..."

Sarai put an arm around Merrill's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Merrill. I know you never meant for it to turn out that way."

Now Merrill turned her large eyes to the rogue. "I've been thinking, Hawke. I wanted so much to do something for my people, to reclaim a piece of our history. It all went wrong. But maybe, maybe I can make it right again? By learning from my mistakes. I could find another clan, pass on the Dalish history. Try to—" She hesitated. "Try to make up for Marethari's death."

"Something new, to stand in the place of what you did before?" Hawke's eyes wandered from the elf beside her to Anders, a short distance away. Merrill's words came back to her from the night the Chantry was destroyed. He should come with us. Do what he can to make things right.

"Exactly! Do you think I could, Hawke? Do you think I could set things right?"

"I don't know much about the Dalish, Merrill. But yes, I would venture to say that you have a chance to make things right."

"Oh! I'm so glad you think so. Perhaps I'll go find the Dalish right now." Without another word, she set off into the forest.

"Whoa, hang on there, Daisy!" Varric cried, grabbing the elf by the wrist. "Are you sure that's a good idea, wandering into the Brecilian Forest by yourself? You used to get lost going from the Alienage to the Hanged Man."

"Oh, Varric, that's because the city had all those buildings. They were always so confusing. I'd never get lost in the forest." She suddenly stopped, as if a thought had occurred to her. "But then, I suppose you all won't be coming with me. Does that mean this is goodbye?"

"Merrill, if this is what you feel you need to do, then go." Sarai put a friendly hand on Merrill's shoulder. "But don't consider it a goodbye. I'm sure we will meet again."

"Oh, Hawke." Merrill threw her arms around Sarai. "You've always been such a good friend to me. I wish I knew how to thank you." Then the elf pulled back, eyes bright. "I'll send word to you, somehow. Once I find a clan to take me in, you can come visit me! And I'll introduce you to the halla and the trees and all the different flowers. I'm sure they'll all be so happy to meet you."

"Send a message to Varric Tethras, Daisy. It'll always find its way to me."

The companions parted ways with a touch of sadness. But Merrill's excitement as she skipped off into the forest put a smile on Sarai's face.

"And then there were three," Varric said.

Behemot barked in annoyance. "Fine, fine. And then there were three, and a mabari. Happy now?"

~—~

Their journey continued, cutting west now towards South Reach. As they passed through towns and villages, Varric conducted his business: seeking out contacts, buying and selling merchandise, investigating taverns and bars. He was a one-man trade caravan. He had even purchased a horse and cart to complete the image; it made traveling slower, but more convenient. In the evenings, he would write letters, giving instructions to his employees and business associates. On one such night, he threw down his pen abruptly.

"Andraste's tits, I can't take this anymore!"

Sarai and Anders looked over from where they were sitting—or rather, cuddling—near the fire. "Something the matter?" Anders asked curiously.

Varric stood, stretching, and made his way from his makeshift writing desk. "Business," he said darkly as he joined the two by the campfire. "I'm sick of it. But with Bartrand out of his mind and out of the picture..."

"What? All those cousins you talked about can't help you run the business?" Sarai teased, knowing full well that they had been convenient fictions.

"They're occupied with their own pursuits," he replied calmly. Then, with a darker expression, he said, "As if the family business weren't bad enough, I'm starting to get worried about the rumors I'm hearing. Word is, mages all over Thedas are rebelling against their circles. I've heard that the Circle Tower here in Ferelden has already fallen."

"Good riddance," Anders said coldly.

Varric shot a glare at the mage. "Your ideals aside, Blondie, this is bad news. The mages are breaking free from the Templars, the Templars are breaking free from the Chantry... it's chaos. And chaos is bad for business."

"Sorry if your business is suffering," Anders shot back, "I suppose the mages should have considered the inconvenience to you before they seized their freedom."

"It's not just bad for my business. It's bad for you, too. Or have you forgotten that the Templars want your head on a pike?"

"Enough, you two," Sarai interjected. She knew their verbal sparring wasn't serious, but she didn't want to see them argue.

"Seriously, Hawke, you should be concerned. Templars off the Chantry's leash does not bode well for either of you."

"Nothing in Thedas bodes well for us, Varric. The Divine could sneeze and it would mean bad luck for us."

"I've heard rumors about Templar groups sweeping this area. I think you should be just a little bit more concerned."

"What can we do that we aren't already doing?" Anders asked wearily.

"I hate to be the one to say this, but I think the time has come for us to part ways. You'll be faster without me, and less likely to attract attention."

Sarai felt a squeeze around her heart. She had known, from the day they left Kirkwall without Aveline, that one day all her companions would leave her side. Slowly but surely, their group had dwindled. Still, she had held on to the hope that Varric would stay with them. The dwarf was like an older brother—watching out for her, giving her advice, buying her drinks, and making jokes at her expense. And my official biographer, she thought ruefully, for Varric had long since claimed that title for himself.

Her face must have betrayed the pain she felt, for Varric said softly, "It's not for good, Hawke. Like I told Daisy, you send a message to Varric Tethras, it will find me. And I'll still keep an eye on you. After all," he concluded with a broad smile, "You're bound to get into more adventures, and I'm not going to miss the opportunity to tell those stories."

Sarai swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "You're right. Anders and I will head into the Bannorn, there's plenty of empty land there. I think the Blight destroyed a lot of it, so it won't be hard to stay out of sight."

"And I'm going to Lothering. The city's beginning to rebuild after all this time. Plenty of opportunities there."

Knowing that this departure would be the hardest on the woman he loved, Anders clapped the dwarf on the back. "Well, if we've got one more night together, let's make it a good one. Break open a bottle of that whiskey you bought last week and tell us a story."

So late into the night, the sound of their laughter rose up with the smoke from the fire.

~—~