Arriving in Kirkwall

"Look, they aren't allowing anyone in." Aveline pointed to the guards on the dock and the growing group of people there.

Alistair and his family were bone-tired. The last couple of nights on the ship were not conducive to sleeping. Leandra put her hands to her temples. "That can't be right. We have family here. They have to let us in!"

"Let's go talk to that guard and find out." Alistair gave his mother a quick hug and stepped up to the city guard.

It was obvious that this guard's duty was to keep out all the refugees. "Don't think you can bully your way in. Kirkwall is full. No more refugees are welcome here."

The conversation Alistair had with the man yielded a few bits of information: Kirkwall had, indeed, closed its doors to any more Ferelden refugees fleeing the Blight; some people were being let in if they could prove they had legitimate business in the city (and the coin to bribe their way in); the viscount was the governing power in name only — Knight-Commander Meredith of the Templars was the true power. They were able to size up the situation by a rather blatant statement of the guard: "Magic is to serve man, not rule him, and mages are better locked up where they don't hurt anyone."

Life in this city was not going to be easy.

Soon enough they were allowed to go to the courtyard and speak with Captain Ewald of the city guard … who was telling a group of mercs basically the same thing. Carver tried to explain that their uncle, Gamlen Amell, was in the city and a nobleman.

Ewald shook his head. "Gamlen … I've heard that name … but the Gamlen I know of doesn't have two coppers to rub together. If he comes out here, I'll let you …"

That was enough to make the mercs draw their swords. "What?! You're going to let them in?" A fight broke out. Alistair let Carver and Aveline do most of the work. Both he and Bethany had enchanted swords instead of staves and had learned to hide magic through the swings of their blades. In short order, the fight was over and the mercs were either dead or limping away.

"Thanks." Ewald took a moment to catch his breath. "Look, if it were up to me, I'd let you in, but I can't make that decision. I'll find your uncle and bring him out here."

Afternoon turned into night and Ewald was still standing in front of the gate. "Well, he's not going to find Gamlen tonight. Busy being all official." Alistair looked around and spotted a corner. He nodded toward it. "It's not all that safe there, but at least we wouldn't be out in the open."

Carver also looked around. "That corner would be better." He nodded to a corner across from the entrance to the city. "It's protected and we can see if Gamlen comes out."

"Good idea, Carver." Alistair picked up a couple of their bags and started walking that way.

Carver picked up two others and strode up next to Alistair. "I think I like this you better, big brother."

That made Alistair laugh. "Because I agreed you had a good idea? That's all it took?" He elbowed his little brother. "If I'd known that sooner, I'd have let you make all the decisions."

Carver frowned. "And, you had to go and ruin it." He started to say something else, but then sighed. "This isn't easy for you, is it. Knowing the truth about your real parents."

"Mother and Father are my real parents. We are the men and woman they raised. Those other people just popped out a kid and washed their hands of me. Thank the Maker." Alistair sat the bags down. Leandra and Bethany unpacked the bedrolls and they "claimed" their fifteen or so squares of stone in the courtyard of the Gallows to wait for Gamlen.

"Did you know Gamlen Amell?" Cassandra was curious about the Amells now.

"Yeah, at that time, the Merchant's Guild just knew him as the nobleman who couldn't recognize a good business investment if it bit him on the ass." Varric chuckled. "But, it turns out he had a reason for his desperate ideas." He shook his head. "I'll get to that later. For now, Ewald came into the Hanged Man that evening and asked me if I knew where 'a Gamlen Amell' was. Told me that some Ferelden refugees claimed he was kin."

"Did the city guard usually come to you about finding people?" The Seeker actually looked surprised.

Varric wasn't sure how much he wanted to admit about himself. "Not really. I had a permanent room at the Hanged Man. I told stories there and met a lot of people. Anyway, I told Ewald that I'd seen him. Gamlen usually frequented the Rose when he had the coin. He only came into the Hanged Man when he didn't." He laughed. "Funny story: just after I told Ewald that, Gamlen walked in and shuffled up to the bar and Ewald grabbed him. Gamlen's look of total fear got me curious. It was going to take serious coin to get anyone into the city and it was obvious Gamlen had none."

Cassandra gave Varric a half-smile. "So, did you check up on the refugees from Ferelden?"

"I felt sorry for them … first for being refugees, second for being related to Gamlen. I went over to the Gamlen after Ewald left and told him about a … transport person who might be willing to front their entrance in exchange for some work out of them." Varric shrugged. "I didn't follow up any more right away."

"You indentured them to a smuggler?!" Cassandra was beginning to show a bit of strain from the constant surprises.

"That's how it worked out. Turns out Gamlen already owed Athenril for a bad idea he'd talked her into …"

"So, here's where I live now … where you live now, I guess." Gamlen closed the door and dropped a metal bar onto two hooks … his idea of a lock. The place was fairly large for a run-down shanty.

"Well," Alistair began. "We could …" He pointed into the room. "And, that … thing, there, would …" He sighed. "At least Mother's cooking will make it smell better than piss and cabbage."

"And here I thought you married a mage, and not a jester, Leandra," Gamlen growled.

While some of the folks who live in Lowtown take pride in what little they have, Gamlen had done absolutely nothing with the place. The elves in the alienage had nicer places. His "guest room" was small with a couple of bunk beds and a tiny table. His room was the largest in the place.

The front room had a small fireplace with a cooking hook, a "dining" table and a few chairs. There were crates and packing trunks everywhere. Alistair figured that Gamlen had to sell most of his stuff, for some reason. Over the ensuing weeks, it became increasingly apparent that reason was debt. Whether it was Gamlen's and Leandra's parents debt — as Gamlen claimed — or his own, would be determined soon.

Leandra looked like she was about to burst into tears; however, she quickly recovered. "We will just have to make this work." She pointed to the smaller room with the bunk beds. "Bethany, Aveline and I will stay in here. Gamlen, would it be all right for the boys to share your room?"

Gamlen opened his mouth to complain. Even with only knowing the man for minutes, Alistair knew he was about to complain. But, Gamlen only said, "All right," before he went into his room to sulk.

Later that evening, after a small quiet dinner, everyone went to bed. From his bedroll, Alistair could hear his mother crying. Bethany and Aveline were trying to comfort her. Alistair wanted to go himself but knew that would just make things worse.

From his bedroll, Carver whispered. "Don't do it, Alistair. Let her get it out."

"i know." Alistair sat up. "We have to make this work, Carver. Tomorrow, we go on our first job for Athenril. Maybe we can do some side jobs to get some money to fix the place up." He smiled when Carver faced him and rolled his eyes. "The place in Lothering didn't look much better than this when we first got there."

Without turning in his bed to face them, Gamlen grumbled. "Are the two of you going to talk all night or can I get some sleep? I have some business deals to do tomorrow. Pray to the Maker they work out."

And … for the most part, things went pretty well for the Hawke family … not so much for Gamlen. They got "the lay of the land" and, unlike his uncle, everything Alistair handled turned to gold for Athenril.

Because they knew Loghain was looking for him, Alistair had been working on his shapeshifted mabari. Owls weren't such a good option in the city. When he walked the streets during the daytime, Alistair became Bluster, Carver's mabari. Carver named him. Bethany stayed in the house with Leandra until they had to work … but that was usually in the evening or nighttime. Bethany's falcon came in quite handy when trying to scout out an area. Alistair credited Bethany with a lot of their success.

When Alistair flew around in his owl form, all he could think about was eating … so many juicy rodents around! While out of the city as well, Alistair stuck to the mabari.

After a few weeks, Carver and Alistair had saved up enough to buy a bed for their mother. It was used, but still sturdy. They'd arranged with Bethany and Aveline to move the bunk bed into Gamlen's room … it was plenty big enough. That would give Leandra her own room and some peace.

They weren't counting on walking in on an Gamlen saying, "You know … maybe you could contribute more towards food."

"Gamlen! You sold my children into servitude! Servitude! They should be nobility!" Leandra's horrified look was mild compared to the anger on everyone else's face.

"It's hard to believe they left me nothing." Leandra was getting to the angry. "I was their daughter! The eldest!"

"Well, they were pretty steamed when you ran off with your Ferelden apostate … with Alistair born almost immediately. That sort of shoddy situation doesn't sit well with the nobility, sister." Gamlen seemed to feel he had won the argument until Alistair reformed into himself and stormed up.

"And, you would know what sits well with the nobility, Uncle? I'd like to see that will. Where is it, Gamlen?" Speaking of pretty steamed, Alistair could have cooked an entire pot of seafood.

"It was read and it went in the vault. No one need look at it again." Gamlen's confidence was waning.

"I'd like to read it, too." Leandra wasn't going to back down.

"It's still in the vault," Gamlen said quietly.

"What daft bastard leaves something like that behind?!" Carver was joining in the "gang up on Gamlen" party.

"Who bought the estate, Gamlen? Was it the Reinhardts? We could …"

"It's no one you know, Leandra. You just need to let it go … all of you … just leave me alone!" He threw up his hands and walked out the front door.

Leandra noticed the headboard, rolled up thin mattress and side rails, now ignored on the floor. "What is that?"

Bethany explained the furniture upgrade while the rest helped Alistair rearrange the bunkbed and put the new bed together. Bethany and Aveline helped Leandra find the bed linens they had brought with them from Ferelden and made the bed up to look pretty good. When they were done, Alistair smiled at his mother. "Slowly but surely we'll get this place in shape despite Gamlen's lack of taste."

With tears of gratitude in her eyes, Leandra managed a chuckle. "I doubt Gamlen will approve of everyone moving in with him, but I'm going to bed before he comes back." She hugged her children and bid them good night.

Once Leandra's door was shut, Carver pulled Alistair, Aveline and Bethany into their new bedroom. "I know who bought the estate … but … I'm having a hard time hating Gamlen for it … being a caretaker … always in someone else's shadow. Mother even gave me her key … but finding the will just doesn't mean all that much to me." Carver shrugged.

His little brother was just being honest with his feelings, so Alistair chose not to be an ass. "You've always wanted some kind of connection. That's where we'll find it." He put his hand on Carver's shoulder. "Being an Amell is what you are … it's your birthright."

In the split second after Alistair realized he'd set himself up, he was pleased to find that Carver decided not to be an ass either. "It's full of slavers now. That's who has the estate."

Aveline put her hands on her hips. "Well, that's a good enough reason for me. That needs to change."

Bethany smiled at Carver. "Let's see if we can make it mean something to you, brother." They were twins and if anyone could make Carver see the light, it was his twin sister.

"There's an entrance from Lowtown. That's where this key works." Carver fished the key out of his belt pouch.

"Lowtown. Lovely. A mabari is closer to the stinky ground, you know." Alistair grimaced before he shapechanged into Bluster and they headed down into the undercity. They found the door, cleared out the slavers and found the will. Alistair opened it and they all read it at the same time.

"Bastard!" Aveline pretty much summed up everyone's feelings … even Carver's.

They returned to the house to find that Gamlen had also returned. He had awakened Leandra to complain about everyone moving into his "private" room. They both turned as the crowd from the estate "clearing" walked in. Alistair slowly closed the door and slipped the bar across it.

As he turned toward his mother and Uncle, he pulled out a sheaf of papers. "Lookie at what we found just lying around the Amell estate vault!" He narrowed his eyes at Gamlen. "We found the will."

Gamlen's face blanched and he swallowed hard.

Carver took the will from Alistair and waved it in Gamlen's face. "Grandfather left everything to us. Mother was to give you a stipend!"

Gamlen turned back toward Leandra. In desperation, his retort was weak at best, "You were the one who always said, 'Love is more important than money.'"

"It is!" It was obvious that she was torn between what Gamlen said and what she just found out. "At least, I know now they weren't angry with me."

"You didn't even come to the funeral!" Gamlen was on a roll.

"The twins were a week old!"

"How long was I supposed to wait, Leandra?" The frustration was building on Gamlen's face.

Alistair looked at his feet a moment. "I don't know, Mother. If it weren't for the Blight, would we ever have come back?"

"I always thought we would." She smiled at them. "But, the three of you are Ferelden to your toes … so, maybe not." She turned to her brother. "I can petition the Viscount to see if we can get your house back, Gamlen."

Gamlen laughed. "You don't have the coin to even get an appointment with the Viscount, Leandra. You have to be somebody to live in that house." After that, he stormed out again.

"Hmmm," Alistair mused. "That's twice in one night. We have to try ganging up on him more often."

Bethany handed Leandra a sack that clinked when Leandra took it. "Maybe not as much as you need to buy the estate, but this was in one of the chests. I doubt the dead slavers will need it." She nodded toward the door. "And, I don't think Gamlen needs to know you have it."

Alistair chuckled. "Mother can give him his first stipend out of it."

"Then, I shall have to get started first thing in the morning. For now, everyone, I'm going to go to sleep." She hugged her children again. "Thank you so much. I feel better than I have in weeks."

Cassandra chuckled. "It seems the Champion couldn't get away from being a noble no matter how hard he tried." She cocked her head to the side. "So, how long was it before you met the Champion in person?"

"Great timing, Seeker! I was just getting to that."

AN: Thanks for all reviews, favorites and follows! I really appreciate hearing from all of you. :) Unlike my other stories, I'm trying to write this one from Alistair's point of view solely (with the "interrogation" scenes from Varric's PoV). What do you think? Should I throw in a chapter now and again with what's happening in Ferelden?

Judy, as always, thanks for your encouragement. :)

The Invisible Pretender, I thought it might be fun to make at least one stop for poor Warden Commander Devon be short and successful. ;) Thank you for your continued support! :)

Elven-in-name, thank you so much for all your reviews! So, have you played DAII yet? You'll notice a great deal of "liberties" with canon. ;) If you haven't played it yet, sorry for the spoilers! I knew Sabrae was spelled that way but just blanked! Thanks for the catch. As for "shimlin" … alas, typos happen. I hope you continue to enjoy my little "what if". :)

Superstar Kid, I really appreciate your kind words! Yes, some things will be quite different. Some won't. There was some dialog that I liked … and used/will use in the tale. Some I didn't like. Thanks! :)