A/N: Here we are in Kirkwall! Sadly there will be no Varric, I like to think he was laying low for a while after the Chantry explosion. There will however be a bit of Bretta/Cullen interaction. Enjoy!

PS: To my very first reviewer, thank you!

Disclaimer: As per usual, I do not own it. Bioware does.

The city of chains was just as ominous as I remembered it. I had been there a few times as a child, the tall walls and the strange golden statues always made me feel small, I would always bury my face in father's side to hide. I had heard that when Knight-Commander Meredith went mad she had brought the statues to life somehow. Talk about a nightmare come true for a young Bretta.

This time I simply hid my face under my hood. Simon and I had perfected our story should I be discovered but I still didn't want to draw attention to us. We got a couple of rooms at a tavern called The Hanged Man, not the classiest establishment I had ever stayed at but the drinks flowed and the bed was soft so I wasn't complaining.

We were trying to be discreet in our inquiries about father, we didn't know why he hadn't been writing but if things had gone south with him then the name Trevelyan might not be a welcomed one. I mostly stayed at The Hanged man while Simon went out into Lowtown and Darktown to try and find information. After a few days of that though I was going stir crazy so I pulled my hood on and walked out onto the Lowtown streets.

The suffering on the streets of Kirkwall was hard to stomach. The destruction left behind by the battle was never ending and the entire city smelled of death. There was no end to the people on the street whose homes had been destroyed. It was a hard thing to see and I once again felt lucky. When I was a child at the circle and I was feeling sorry for myself, Angelica would tug on the end of my braid and say, "Someone always has it worse, Bretta." In her flowing Antivan accent. As I looked around at all of these homeless people, I thought she was very right.

I was kicking stones as I wandered through the streets when I heard a woman crying very loudly. I looked up to see a young woman, about my age, going from person to person asking for help. She had a small bundle in her arms.

"Please! Someone! My baby is dying, someone please help me!" She sobbed loudly as another person brushed her off.

My feet were moving before I even realized. I reached her and looked down at the small baby who wasn't crying or moving in the slightest. "What's wrong with your baby?" I asked hurriedly.

The girl looked up at me with wide green eyes and sniffled, "She's got a fever, ma'am. She won't suckle and no one will help me." She sobbed again as she stroked the little thing's face.

Compassion welled inside of me. I looked around to see if anyone was paying us any attention, they weren't. I looked at the woman again. "Follow me, quickly!" I said quietly and motioned for her to follow me.

We weaved throughout the people swiftly and when I found a dark alleyway I grabbed her arm and pulled her into it with me. I removed my hood and my gloves. She was looking at me in confusion. I smiled at her reassuringly and pulled the baby's swaddle away. I pressed my hand to her chest and took a deep breath. The healing magic was cool as it flowed from my hand. Suddenly the baby cried out and the mother sobbed in joy and pulled her breast out so the baby could latch on. The baby began feeding greedily, she would live.

The mother looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, my lady. How can I ever repay you?"

I reached into my cloak and pulled out my entire coin purse. Mother had sent us with enough money to feed a small army. I handed it over to her, "Keep that well hidden. Get yourself some food and a warm place to sleep. That's all the payment I require."

Her eyes grew wide as she maneuvered the baby so she could take the money. I gave her one last smile before I put my hood back on and began to leave the alley. The woman stopped me with a hand on my shoulder and I turned to look at her. Her eyes were full of gratitude.

"Andraste sent you to save my baby. Bless you, I will never forget this." She said with conviction.

I smiled, feeling truly happy that I was able to bring comfort to at least one person as I turned and left the alley. No sooner had I left the alley that I was grabbed roughly and shoved into another dark corner. I tried to scream but a gloved hand came over my mouth.

"I saw what you did to that baby." A voice murmured.

My heart began beating fast. I blinked my eyes against the darkness and saw the tell tale armor. It was a templar, I was dead, this was it. I looked up at his face. He was a handsome man with curly blonde hair cropped short. Hazel eyes were looking at me with a searching expression. I fought against his hold on me.

"I am going to remove my hand, but I need your word that you won't scream. You don't want anymore attention drawn to you." I narrowed my eyes at him. What was he playing at?

"Do I have your word?" He asked in a low voice. I nodded slowly and he watched me with a careful expression as he pulled his hand away slowly.

I took a deep breath once I was free and pulled my hood away. He cleared his throat and stepped away. I was still breathing heavily, he was strange. Most templars would have already dragged me away by my hair, why was he beating around the bush?

"So what now? Do you take me into custody, or would you rather kill me now since that seems to be how things go these days?" I asked in a quiet voice, I tried to not let fear into my voice.

He looked at me and sighed before looking around him. "You took a great risk in helping that woman, if it had been one of my fellow templars they wouldn't have hesitated to kill you."

He was a most confusing man, "So I am lucky then, that it's you and not someone else?" Was he going to let me go?

We stared at each other, mage and templar. At this point we were supposed to be enemies, but I didn't feel afraid anymore. The man who looked to be about six or seven years older than me seemed different. He didn't look like the monsters templars had become in my mind; he just looked tired. He broke eye contact first by clearing his throat and I looked at my feet and blushed.

"Just... be more careful, Kirkwall is not safe right now. Next time you might not be so lucky." His voice had become stern. I nodded and put my hood back on. I gave him one last searching look before I turned to leave.

"Why did you help her?" He asked suddenly.

I turned back around, he was looking at me with a searching expression as well, as if he was just as confused by me as I was by him. I shrugged a shoulder.

"She needed help, so I helped her."

He took a step forward at my words, "But you could have been discovered, killed, why risk that for a complete stranger?"

I thought about his words for a moment before I answered him.

"If we can't take the time to help others in times like this, then we let the darkness and the suffering win. I think that my life just seems a little insignificant in the grand scheme of things, don't you think?" I sounded like my mother but my words seemed to resonate with him.

He nodded and looked at me again, my face was hidden to him, but I could see something different in his eyes. Some emotion that I couldn't place. It occurred to me then that this was the longest conversation I had ever had with a templar and that made me smile slightly.

Before I knew what I was doing, I walked over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thank you... for being different." I said quietly before I left him standing in the alley with a dumbfounded look on his face.

I smiled the entire way back to The Hanged Man. Helping the woman had lifted my spirits and then being helped by a templar of all people; what a strange day it had been. Simon was in my room when I opened the door, he was in the middle of pacing and he stopped when he saw me.

"Sweet Andraste's ass, Bee! Where have you been?" I glanced out of the window and saw that the sun was starting to go down, had I really been gone that long?

I took my cloak off, "Maker, Simon, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I was gone that long." He sighed and fell into the chair by the fireplace.

"It's okay, just please leave a note or something next time. I thought the templars had found you." Simon's shoulders visibly relaxed and I felt guilty for worrying him.

"Well, a templar did find me." I said quietly and Simon was at full alert, his green eyes that matched mother's and Sutton's were wide.

I held my hand up to stop him before he could demand answers, and then I told him everything. I told him of the girl and her baby, and then the templar finding me but letting me go. Simon sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

"You didn't give him a name or tell him where you're staying did you? I don't want him to change his mind and come here looking for you."

I shook my head to relieve his worries, "No brother, I didn't tell him my name."

Simon nodded in approval and then suddenly he grinned widely. "I found out where father is." I squealed and threw one of my gloves at him.

"You nug humper! Why didn't you say anything?" I demanded.

Simon dodged the glove and mock glared at me, "Well, excuse me! I was too worried about you and your templar Knight in shining armor."

I threw my other glove at him and he laughed. "Stop!" I laughed as I blushed. "So what's the news on father?"

We chuckled for a bit before Simon took a deep breath and told me everything he had found out. A passing guard had done a random check on Simon and when Simon said his name the guard fumbled and apologized. Apparently father was staying at the Viscount Keep with several other Bans who were trying to get things in order. He said father had probably stopped writing because the post in Kirkwall wasn't secure anymore with the chaos.

I stood and reached toward the fire to warm my hands as Simon finished his tale. Today had truly been a great day. "So we can't relay the message to mother?" I asked suddenly.

Simon shook his head apologetically, "I'm afraid not, but I figure we will stay here for another few weeks and then head back to Ostwick to ease her mind of the worry."

"You will return, I will part ways with you once we leave Kirkwall." I said as I watched the flames dance in the fire.

Simon stood beside me and rested his arm on the mantle. "Sister, you will break mother's heart if you don't return."

I sighed and looked over at him, "If I go back she won't ever let me leave, I must go, Simon. Surely you understand? I am lucky that templar was so kind today, next time I won't be so lucky."

Simon ran a hand through his hair. "Very well then, but you could still come and check in every so often. Forgive us for wanting to keep you close after we haven't seen you in ten years."

I nodded, I understood that, but I had to keep them safe. We both stood there lost in our thoughts for a moment. Simon finally pushed away from the mantle and yawned as he stretched. "Well, Bee, I am going to bed. You should get some rest too. We will see our father in the morning."

"Ban Trevelyan, your children, Sister Sutton and ser Simon are here." The guard said as he led us into the office.

Father stood as we entered and when he saw me his eyes widened a bit before he righted himself and dismissed all of the guards. Once we were alone he came around the desk and hugged me tightly. "My dear child" he said in a watery voice.

I was taken aback at the emotion my usually stoic father was showing, but I still returned the hug. He smelled like spindleweed tea and fine leather. Maker, I had missed him. He pulled away, "I am surprised to see you, Sutton..." He raised an eyebrow and I chuckled as I lifted one shoulder.

"It was Simon's idea, actually a good one this time, I was surprised as well." Father grinned and Simon let out a grunt.

"I am standing right here!" He said in a whiny voice and father chuckled before walking over to hug Simon as well.

Simon looked at me over father's shoulder with a confused expression and I held up my hands to show I didn't understand either. Once we had all said our hellos father led us to the chairs in the corner of the office and bid us to sit.

He smiled at me again as we all sat, "When I heard of what happened at the Ostwick circle I didn't dare to hope you had lived. I am truly happy to be wrong."

I tucked my hair behind my ear, "I have missed you, father."

"Child, you have no idea just how much you have been missed. Seeing you two here, it brings comfort to me that I haven't felt in months."

We all talked for a while. Father told us of all the goings ons in Kirkwall. The city was without a viscount or a chantry. The people were hungry and scared. Father seemed tired and I wished there was something I could do to help him. We told him of mother's worry and he seemed guilty. He told us he would send us with a letter for her to ease her mind.

One thing he told us stuck out with me, he said that he head heard Divine Justinia was trying to get the leaders of the mage rebellion and the templars together to talk peace. The Conclave she was calling it. Father said for right now it was just talk but he hoped it came to fruition. I hoped too, the world was in an uproar.

I just had to make sure my family was safe, until order was restored.

A/N: Until next time, friends.