Chapter 9 - Reunited

Nathaniel followed Delilah down a narrow alley behind the marketplace and through a crumbling stone archway that led out of the city proper. He recounted the events preceding his conscription at her request, leaving out the bits that would violate his oath of secrecy. While he talked they strolled along a winding dirt path that led to a cluster of cottages atop a hill overlooking the Waking Sea. Nathaniel could hear the familiar sounds of barking dogs and children's laughter mixing with the rhythmic crashing of waves upon the shore.

"It would be just like Alyx to do such a thing," she said once he finished his account. "You're lucky she is so forgiving, brother. Most men in her position would have executed you on the spot."

"Yes, no doubt they would have done," he said with a deep scowl.

"And yet you don't seem very grateful," she murmured with an interested air.

Delilah led him to the house furthest away from the path and through a low, rickety wooden gate. A black and white hound greeted them in the dooryard, bushy tail wagging happily as his mistress bent down to pat him on the head before showing her brother inside.

The first thing Nathaniel noticed when they entered was the combination of scents that assaulted his senses. Breathing in deeply he attempted to identify each individually. He smiled as he recognized the smell of lilacs and honeysuckle, two of his sister's most favorite scents in all of Thedas. Breathing in again he caught a hint of vanilla mixed with the subtle aroma of cedar, candle wax and clean linens. They were warm smells; welcoming smells that were both pleasant and soothing to his tightly-wound nerves. Glancing around he noticed that the cottage was small but filled with all the little feminine touches that made a house a home. There were lace curtains at the windows, gently wafting in a warm sea breeze kicking up off the water. Thick, woven rugs adorned the floors and a bookshelf with well-worn volumes stood proudly by the hearth. Hand-carved wooden figurines lined the rough-hewn mantelpiece and bowls of freshly cut flowers were scattered about to brighten the room.

"I know it's far smaller than the Vigil, but its home," Delilah chirped from behind him. "Come brother, sit and talk with me while I make us some tea."

Nathaniel followed her into a tidy, sun-drenched kitchen and sat at a scarred wooden table as Delilah briskly gathered the things she needed to prepare the tea. He grinned as he realized she was softly humming to herself, a wistful smile wreathing her face.

"You seem happy," he said as he watched her work.

"I am," she replied with a wide smile. "Deliriously so, in fact. You know, I always felt useless as a noblewoman but now I realize I just wasn't cut out for that life. Here there is always something to be done and for once I actually feel fulfilled."

"How did you meet—what's his name—your husband?" Nathaniel asked as she sat at the table with him.

"I was miserable at the Vigil, Nate, especially without you there as a buffer. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I planned to run away at the very first opportunity. I was so naïve back then! So young and unaware of the way the real world worked. It shouldn't surprise you that I was attacked by bandits on the road to Amaranthine the very night of my escape. They took everything I had and left me for dead on the side of the road. It was Albert who found me, took me in and nursed me back to health. He was so gentle and understanding…and patient, the poor man! I was awful to him at first, but he never complained about my behavior. When I regained my health he offered me a position in his shop in exchange for food and shelter, and as I had nowhere else to go I readily accepted. Eventually we developed a friendship, friendship turned into love, and we've been married ever since," she told him, the expression on her face growing soft at the mention of her husband's name. "What's more I'm…due in the spring. So you see? Your homecoming couldn't be more propitious."

"Y-you're—" Nathaniel began, sputtering, not quite sure what else to say at this news. Delilah's gentle laughter brought him out of his shock, and for the first time since his return, Nathaniel's anger was not foremost in his mind. My sister…a mother! He thought in elation. I'm going to be an Uncle.

"Deli, where is last month's ledger? Sister Beatrice insists that they were short two bundles of cornmeal, but I just want to check—well, hullo there," a deep, masculine voice said as a man walked into the room and stopped in his tracks at the sight of Nathaniel sitting at the table.

"Darling, we have a visitor! This is my brother, Nate, finally back from the Free Marches after all these years. Nathaniel, my husband Albert," Delilah said as she jumped from the table.

Albert visibly relaxed at her words and smiled as he offered Nathaniel his hand.

"Ah, so the prodigal brother returns! I'm glad to finally meet you. Delilah has told me much about you, though I must admit I never thought to have the pleasure," he said warmly.

"I wish I could say the same. I didn't even know of your existence until just a few days ago," Nathaniel said as he shook the man's hand. Albert threw back his head and laughed, leaving Nathaniel completely nonplussed.

"That is hardly surprising news," Albert replied with a wink.

"The ledger is on the second shelf of the cabinet beside your desk, my love," Delilah interrupted, silently giving her husband an all-too familiar look Nathaniel knew to mean 'go away'.

"My thanks," Albert replied, but hesitated before leaving the room. "Will you be staying for supper, Nate?"

"Oh, please say that you will!" Delilah begged him, her eyes as big as saucers as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it pleadingly.

"I—oh, very well."

"Brilliant!" Albert replied with a pleased smile as Delilah clapped her hands in excitement. "I look forward to getting to know you, brother Nate. Deli? I'll be back in time for supper."

Nathaniel studied his new brother-in-law as he murmured his goodbyes to his sister. He was a tall man with a barrel chest, auburn hair and warm green eyes. He looked older than Nathaniel yet still could be considered a young man. He certainly was not what he was expecting, but he could see the affection in both of their eyes as Albert kissed her lightly on the forehead before offering his farewells.

"So?" Delilah asked him expectantly after Albert took his leave.

"He is certainly not the sort I ever pictured you with," Nate began, "But he seems like a good man," he added hastily at the look on his sister's face.

"The best! But wait…who did you think I would end up with?"

"I seem to recall you once saying that nothing less than Fergus Cousland would ever do for you."

"Oh ho! So you remember my little childhood crush, do you?" she laughed. "I suppose it's just as well I didn't end up with him, otherwise I would be dead." Delilah clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes widening in horror as the smile dropped from Nathaniel's lips.

"Maker's breath, I'm sorry! I didn't mean…" she cried, sitting heavily in the chair next to him as she tried to contain her emotions. "I sometimes wish I were more like you, brother. You measure your words carefully whereas I…I just let any old thought just fly out of my mouth."

"Delilah…Tell me about what happened with the Couslands," he requested hoarsely, his eyes never wavering from hers.

"Alyx didn't tell you? I'm hardly surprised at that, but I don't think you really want to hear—"

"Tell me. I want to—no—I need to know."

Delilah sighed, eyeing him sadly before standing up and crossing the room to the window. She remained silent for a time, simply staring out at the sea as if there was something she could see within the rolling waves that he could not. He waited patiently, knowing that she would speak when she was ready.

"To hear Father tell it, the Couslands were traitors that deserved their fate, but anyone with any sense would know that he was full of rubbish," she began, still looking out over the water. "It was not long before the battle of Ostagar, and the king had called for more men. Father went to Highever under the guise of friendship and duty to the crown, but he betrayed them all."

It was then she paused to finally look at him. Nathaniel was shocked at the disgust and sadness that warred within her eyes. Whatever she was about to tell him wasn't going to be easy for her to share…or for him to listen to.

"He had his men attack in the middle of the night while everyone was sleeping. They slaughtered them, Nate. Like animals. And it wasn't just the family and their guards; they killed everyone within the castle walls. Afterwards, they simply dumped the bodies into a pit to rot. Can you imagine the indignity? Those poor souls, murdered by men thought to be friends, only to be sent to the fade unshriven and disgraced. And as if that wasn't enough, instead of heading to Ostagar as he ought, Father headed back to Amaranthine for all the world as if he had been away on holiday."

"How did you learn all of this?" Nathaniel interrupted.

"Father could spread his lies as he wished but it didn't stop his men from boasting of their conquests. I still have nightmares on occasion of the things I overheard about that night, especially concerning what they did with the women before they…" she began, but shuddered at the mere thought of what she had heard. "Let's just say there are some things in this world that are far worse than death. I'm not sure how Alyx escaped that night, but if anybody could find a way it would be her."

"She was there?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, or so I've been told. Until today, I hadn't seen or heard from her since, well, before the blight."

That explains a lot, he thought as he remembered Falcon's reaction to his outrage. He thought it strange then, but now—now it made sense. He must seem like a spoiled child to her, having a tantrum because his favorite toy was taken away. He might have lost his family too but he hadn't had to witness it as she had. Why would Father do this? What was he thinking? He wondered to himself. Rendon Howe had always been a gruff man, but he had prided himself on doing the honorable thing, or so Nathaniel had thought all these years.

"Why?" he whispered, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed his hands into fists.

"Power, why else? Highever was only the beginning for him. After King Cailan's death Father spent his time pouring poisonous lies into Teyrn Loghain's ear, and as a reward he was given the Arlship of Dernerim as well as the Teryna of Highever. There were whispers that he would not stop there, that he would eventually go after the crown itself. I never learned if there was any truth to that, but I wouldn't have put it past him."

"How can you say that, Delilah! He was our Father!" Nathaniel growled.

"You don't know what he was like! What he became!" Delilah cried, tears freely falling from her eyes. "He had Bryce Cousland's head mounted on a pike and placed just outside his bedroom window so he could gloat over his trophy with his morning tea. How can you justify that? You can't. He was a monster, Nate. There is no other explanation."

Nathaniel's face turned grey at her words, bile lurching in his stomach. Lies, he hissed to himself. It all had to be lies. Delilah's gaze softened as she saw the turmoil on his face.

"I know that you loved him. You always have, but he was not the same man you knew before you left for the Free Marches. I wish I could blame it all on the blight, but his madness had started long before the darkspawn attacked the surface."

Delilah continued to tell him of what she knew of his destructive behavior throughout the blight, and although Nathaniel hated to admit it, he had heard some of the same things in his travels. He didn't want to believe it, didn't even want to consider that she spoke the truth, but the pain in his chest told him she was.

"This—is a lot for me to take in, Delilah. Had I known, had I been here..."

"You would most likely be dead yourself. Father would have sent you to Ostagar or worse, and even if he hadn't, there was nothing you could have said or done to change his mind. Even Thomas feared him in the end, and the drunken, lecherous oaf could hardly see past his own prick most days. He…was to inherit everything, Nate. Father disowned you after he heard of Lord Rockfort."

"I—didn't know that, though after what you've told me it figures," Nathaniel said through gritted teeth.

"I thought as much. After we had word about Rockfort's death he forbade anyone from speaking your name in his presence. Mother was devastated. She begged him to reconsider but he would hear none of it. She was never quite the same after the lashing he gave her; it left her bedridden for nearly a week."

"No," he whispered in disbelief, closing his eyes tightly against the pain.

"I'm so sorry. This all must be very difficult for you. Indeed, it has been difficult for me to tell. Then of course I can excuse my haywire emotions on my condition," she said with a smile as she rubbed a hand over her still-flat abdomen. Knowing Delilah, she was likely trying to inject some humor into an otherwise emotional conversation. He smiled sadly at her, but he couldn't bring himself to laugh when he felt like he was falling to pieces. Everything he thought he had known about his Father had been blown to bits in the matter of an afternoon.

"You blame her, don't you?" she asked him softly when he didn't speak. "Alyx, that is. Don't. I wasn't lying earlier when I told her that I was glad she was the one to kill him. He deserved to die, brother, a thousand times over for his wicked deeds. That it was by a Cousland's hand is more than appropriate. You want the culprit who destroyed our family? It was him, without question."

"I did blame her at first…"

"And now?"

"I don't know. She still killed our Father—but…hearing this…I cannot contend that it was her right to do so. It will take some time for me to forgive, but I think perhaps it will take me longer to make amends. I have not been…pleasant to say the least."

"Like a mabari with a bone, no doubt," she said, amused. "You have a chance to redeem our family. Do not waste it on past grievances."

"When did you get so smart?" Nathaniel teased.

"When I learned that I was going to be a mother, naturally. Now come. Help me with supper."

Nathaniel entertained her with tales of his travels and of his companions while he helped her prepare the evening meal. He had her laughing hysterically over Anders and Oghren's many convoluted arguments, and smiling at the Commander's martial skills and random acts of generosity.

"Admit it, brother, you like her," she accused, chuckling at the look on his face. "Which is quite the interesting turn of events if you ask me."

"I do not like her! I barely know her. Until this afternoon I was fairly certain that I hated her," he retorted as he chopped vegetables a little harder than necessary.

"Uh-huh. If you say so," she replied, smirking.

"Wait—what did you mean by that last bit?" he asked suddenly.

"I don't know what you mean…"

"Yes, you do sister. Out with it."

"Well…It's not as if you didn't already know…Don't tell me you didn't know."

"Know what?"

"That she had a huge crush on you when we were children, of course!"

"What!"

"Do you think that she followed you and Fergus around because she wanted to spend time with her brother?" she asked with a snort. "I can't believe you never saw it! She always used to get this starry-eyed look on her face anytime you were in the same room, and when you did notice her she would blush and run away. She told practically the entire staff that she was going to marry you and have a dozen of your babies when she grew up!"

Nathaniel groaned at this news, which of course made Delilah laugh ecstatically.

"Don't tell her I said anything. I pinky-swore I would never say a word," she said seriously after she caught her breath.

"But if I don't tell her I know her secret, how are we supposed to get married and start on all those babies?" he asked innocently, earning him a swat on the arm.

"Don't you dare, Nathaniel Howe!"

"Alright, alight…I won't tell her…and we'll stick to a half a dozen babies, strictly out of wedlock."

Delilah groaned theatrically, but her eyes sparkled up at him playfully.

"You are incorrigible! I don't know how your companions put up with you."

They continued to tease each other as they worked and before long the meal was ready and set out on the table. Nathaniel had forgotten how much he had missed her company over the years. Delilah had been like a butterfly amongst the moths as a child, with a generous spirit that was far different than that of his other family members. He realized that it was she that he had mourned the most upon hearing of his family's fate. The fact that she was alive and well filled him with a happiness he thought never to feel again.

Albert returned shortly and they all sat down to supper. They chatted and laughed like a normal family, and Nathaniel truly relaxed for the first time in years. Delilah poked fun at him, of course, for eating like a half-starved barbarian, but he shrugged and blamed it on the Grey Warden appetite. He found that he truly liked his brother-in-law. He was a kind, solid man who clearly adored his sister. It warmed his heart to think that something good had come of all of this, and he thanked the Maker for putting Albert in Delilah's path.

Soon it was time for him to say his farewells, though he did so with a heavy heart.

"I know that you have your duties, but you must come and visit whenever possible. Now that you're to be an uncle, I would expect no less from you," Delilah said as she walked him to the gate.

"Aye aye, Ser Deli!" he replied with a mock salute. "Honestly, sister, after these past months of believing you were gone…how do you think I could possibly stay away?"

Delilah smiled fondly at him as she brushed her fingers across his cheek.

"Dearest Nate. I'm sorry you have suffered so, but be glad that you have an opportunity to make things right again."

"Delilah—"he began, but she gently pressed a finger to his lips.

"No, listen to me. I know you far too well, better even then you know yourself. You do not give yourself enough credit. If there was any Howe that could redeem us from the ashes, it would be you, brother. You were always the best of us, Nate, never forget it."

"I—don't know what to say to that."

"You needn't say anything; just take it for what it is. I love you, brother. I couldn't be happier to have you back in my life."

"As am I, Deli. You were always my favorite," he said with a playful smile as he briefly touched the tip of her nose with his index finger. It was a gesture both were long familiar with, and sent a sense of nostalgia running through his veins.

"You must come again at your first opportunity…and bring Alyx with you. I truly do miss her, you know. She was a dear friend once, and I hope to renew our relationship. With all of you men hanging around her all the time, I daresay she could use a little feminine company," Delilah teased before her face turned serious once again. "Do not be too hard on her. She lost far more than her parents during the blight. She might be your Commander, and a formidable warrior no doubt, but she is still a woman with a woman's emotions. So have a care."

"What do you mean by—"

"Are you coming to bed, my love? Early day tomorrow," Albert called from the door, interrupting their conversation.

Delilah smiled apologetically and opened her arms to him. Nathaniel grinned and picked her up into a tight bear-hug that made her squeal in delight. They said their final goodbyes before he headed back up the winding path with a warm feeling of contentment slowly growing inside him. He had a family again, and a new sense of purpose to fill his heart. Now if only he could convince the Commander to forgive him...


*Muse Tunes: "Harvest Time" by Thomas Newman (Little Women OST); "Sir Guy Gisborne and the Escape to Sherwood" by Michael Kamen (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves OST); "The Sacking of Trelawny" by Nicholas Hooper (Order of the Pheonix OST); "Talk of Pod Racing" by John Williams (Phantom Menace OST); "The Road to Perdition" by Thomas Newman (Road to Perdition OST).