Bethany crouched lower to the prickly vine that bared wild plump blackberries, perfect for a special surprise for their mother's birthday, that grow near their secret camp. Carefully picking several more handfuls into the fold of her apron, she mulled over her situation with her brother, Garrett.
It wasn't like she was trying to be cold, but she felt cheated. They used talk about everything. However, she was starting to learn that she only seemed to know one side of Garrett. She never knew about her brother's unrequited love or his study of blood magic. Garrett could be odd combination of extremely personal and distance at the same time. His jovial personality seemed eluded to openness, but as Bethany was slowly realize that his lighthearted responses were a shield for Garrett to hid his real feelings. Before Garrett quips amused her and she preferred them to Carver's lack of tact and Marain's cruel bluntness, but now she found herself second guessing the meaning her conversations with Garrett.
She sighed as she got up from her crouching position careful not to spill the blackberries in her apron she had used as a tarp. Garrett gone off looking for the Dalish with no word, but a note stuck with a pin to her pack. The note was brief, but it was proof that Garrett was stumped as to how to bridge this gap in their relationship as she was. Carefully, she removed her apron and slowly folded it to package the berries and gently put it on top of the elfroot in her pack, so she wouldn't crush them. She picked up a basket filled with the last crop of elfroot for the season and continued to hike back to Kirkwall. Hopefully, the tension between Garrett and her would resolve itself in time, she thought slowly tread the rocky area. Her thoughts drifted to the Spindleweed crop she had started the day before and the new Elfroot crop Marian was treating the ground for so they could grow bigger better roots.
The roots they grew were smaller and scraggly than what the roots were supposed to be. The last of the crops were terribly thin and no good for potions' but good for eating. Elfroot was a healthy food and supplement. Marian and Bethany had been selling the bigger roots in HighTown, and giving away the smaller roots in the street corners of LowTowns of Kirkwall. Their bulbs were much appreciated. Poor slum women and children would give Bethany Death Flowers, a white five petal flower that grew rampant in the Undercity of Kirkwall, as thank you. Marian assured Bethany that the flowers were perfectly harmless though the root was potent in poisons. Sort of like Bethany, herself, Carver joked." All pretty and harmless on the outside, all sorts of crazy trouble on the inside." In response, Bethany butted him in the back of his head with her staff, which was confiscated by Garrett, and when Carver developed nasty bump on his head as a result, she had to treat him at Mother's insistence.
It took three hours to walk back to the city which by then it was about noon. Instead of going home like she usually did after a harvest, She carefully carried her load into the Undercity instead of Lowtown, to look for a secret entrance of her mother's childhood home.
Her hands felt raw and cramped from carrying the basket. She cautiously got on board the old mine elevator that lowered in bowels of Kirkwall. Bethany figured the Undercity was once a mining shaft that turned sewer system, which turned into a slum. The place reeked of rot, death, and sewage. It was strange that anyone one would want to be here let alone live in the undercity of Kirkwall, but a large number of people were doing just that. The guard were quick to throw undesirables out of the view of nobility in Hightown. Lowtown was owned by thugs and gangs fight for control of the streets. Whatever traverses and goes in the Undercity pretty much stays in the the Undercity. According to her Uncle Gamlen the dregs of Kirkwall is the one place where no one cared who was there was there. A lot of illegal deals happen in the Undercity, too, like slaving and smuggling. Bethany shuddered at the thought. This place was dangerous place to be, but if she find the secret entrance, maybe she could get to her family vault. If she could get her grandparent's will, maybe her mother will finally have some answers. Uncle Gamlen was just as shady as the streets in the Undercity. He was clearly hiding something from Mother.
"M'lady" A young boy called followed younger girl that hide close to his side. His messy face reminded her of her brothers, and his tattered cloths which his sister held made her heart ache. "My sister, she made this for you." He held out a wreath made of white Death Flowers.
"Oh, Thank You. It is a lovely gift." Bethany set down her basket and knelled down to their level to receive the gift.
"It's a crown" The girl informed shyly from her brother's side.
Bethany carefully placed it on top of her head and draped it on crown her head.
"Like this?" Bethany inquired while adjusting her hair. The scent of the flowers was heavy and surprisingly nice.
"Perfect," the little girl giggled, " You look like a bride!"
Bethany smiled but inwardly she doubted any woman would want to wear a flower called death on their wedding day no matter how pretty the flower. She offered them a bundle of Elfroot for their gift.
"Do you have anymore?" The little boy asked as he hovered around the basket.
"Yes, would you like some?" Bethany quickly offered.
"I don't have any money. Will this do?" The boy held up a bouquet of death flowers. Most of them the were white, but some were red and pink.
"That will do nicely" Bethany agreed and happily and took the bouquet and gave the boy another bundle of Elfroot. More homeless people arrived with flowers in hand, wanting to trade flowers for Elfroot. Bethany handed out all the roots she had and soon her basket was filled with Death flowers. The crowd quickly dispersed once it was clear Bethany had no more food to give, but the young mage managed to get some directions before heading out deeper into the slums. Using an old compass that Bethany had used ever since she was a little girl, Bethany calculated where the bottom of her mother's mansion should be. It had to be somewhere near the edge, their mother mentioned a balcony. The young mage slow walked toward the area that could be the base of the Amell Mansion.
It was funny to think what childhood she could have had if she had grown up here; Marian and her in frilly dresses and snooty attitudes, Carver having manners and education, and Garrett without his beard and in tights. Bethany giggled at the thought of the Hawkes as nobles.
"Well, well, whoever thought we would find such a treasure in this dump heap." A man's voice from the adjacent alleyway called interrupting Bethany's musings.
"Excuse me?" Bethany asked bewildered by the man's statement and foreign robes.
"How much do you for want for her?" Another man in leather armor with mean looking daggers asked the man in robes.
"I am not for sale!" Bethany shouted at the two conspiring man before discovering that she had been flanked by two other armed men. She saw others behind the two bartering men were carrying and corralling crying girls and women. Wonderful, she had just wandered into slave trade.
"She could be very valuable." The robed man eyes traced Bethany thoughtfully like a man does before he buys a horse at a market looking for good and bad features.
It was all Bethany could do not to burn these scum up with fire ball. She dropped her basket and pulled out her new daggers, and stabbed the nearest slaver that was trying to grab her. "Stay away from me!" She cried. However, she didn't have enough skill to parry his attack.
"You bitch!" The man screamed while he hit Bethany in the face with his other hand which knocked her to ground. The slaver's gauntlet badly tore Bethany's cheek. She could feel the sharp pain and her warm blood gush down her cheek.
"It seems that she needs to be broken" The man in robes sighed. He raised his fist crackling with a familiar red glow of magic. If Bethany wasn't reeling in pain she would have been surprised. It seemed the young mage had no choice. The only way she could have a fighting chance to escape was to use magic herself otherwise she would be dragged off to Tevinter to be a slave. Bethany braced herself to cast a force to knock over the slavers.
"I have made this place of healing and refuge! I will destroy anyone who threats it!" An angry voice boomed before a fiery blast hit the mage and man in leather, quickly burning them to death. More spells rained down and most of the slavers simply ran for their lives.
This time Bethany was shocked. She was saved by another mage?
"Are you alright?" A blonde man with a shadow of a beard in green robes and black feathered shoulders asked as he helped her up. Bethany held one hand on her bleeding face and other took her basket. Bethany followed dumbly as he usher several other girls in a nearby hidden alcove which was boarded up to make a private space. He helped settle the other bruised girls and fix one with a broken leg. Bethany watched him work as sipped tea from a cup offer by a weary older lady who has cleaned her own wound and applied some salve and bandage.
"That is a nasty scratch. I will ask Anders to look at it." The older lady said as she examined Bethany who still looked a little pale.
"Is that his name? He knows healing magic?" Bethany asked in complete shock.
"Yes, he is a mage." The weary lady said in voice that suggested that she explained this before. "He used to be a Grey Warden."
"A grey warden?" Bethany echoed amazed. It was not every day that one got to meet a warden especially in the calm after blight.
"Ex-Warden" Anders corrected as he took a seat next to Bethany and examined the cut on her face.
"You can leave the Wardens?" Bethany inquired in disbelief. She had never heard of retired wardens. It was more of a do or die group, according to stories from her father.
Anders shrugged his shoulders if to say 'so what'. "Well, I have and good riddance." Anders carefully cupped Bethany's injured face. "This cut is quite deep. It might scar, and I can't let those scum ruin a pretty face". Ander's hand glowed bright blue and Bethany felt an uncomfortable heat that somehow bled into warm numbness. This was healing magic! Just as fast as it began it ended, and without thinking Bethany magic latched out at Anders's blue light trying to figure out what he had done to fix her. The glow busted into a blue star before vanishing, leaving Bethany's cheek healed and slightly pink from the warmth of the spell.
"What?" Anders gasped. His eyes darted back and forth examining Bethany face who looked as shocked as he did at what she had done. Anders face quickly melted into joy as Bethany's fell into despair.
"Is very thing alright?" the old woman asked concerned. "You didn't push yourself too hard again Anders?"
"No. Nothing like that." Anders said sheepishly as he quickly stood up. "I am just going to walk our fair lady back home." As bowed in Bethany's direction.
"Huh?" Bethany voiced her puzzled state. She expected Anders to pursue the matter of being a mage. It was clear that Anders had no intention to hide, which bothered the young Hawke for reasons that she could not place or voice.
"Only a princess would have such a beautiful tiara." Anders explained and snickered when Bethany's hand instantly touched the soft petals of Death Flowers still set in a crown on her hair. She had forgotten it was there.
"You don't need to escort me home." Bethany protested as she removed the crown from her hair and into her basket with the rest.
"I insist. You look like you're not from the undergrounds. You're too clean. I will show you the way back to the city." Anders did not wait for Bethany to protest or argue.
"I will be back, Sue." Anders waved to the old lady good bye and headed back out into the underground roads.
Bethany quickly gathered her things and followed Anders after bowing to Sue, the old nurse, in respect. The old lady called out to them "Be Careful!"
"What is a girl like you doing in a place like this?" Ander asked as he quickly them back up to the city.
"What do you mean?" Bethany asked cautiously, not sure what Anders was trying to imply. This seemed to make Anders impatient as he exhaled quite loudly.
"What is a nice girl like you doing in the Undercity?" Anders specified as pushed Bethany toward a narrow corridor, so Bethany told him of her travels as a refugee and her quest to find the belly of her mother's old mansion.
"You know, I think I know that place." Anders beckoned Bethany to cross on some old planks of wood over a sewer canal. "It should be right over here up ahead somewhere."
Bethany quickly followed after him. After walking a bit they came to slot in the wall that let the light and air enter the under sewers. "I have heard stories that this is some slavers territory. They often get into scuffles with the Coterie. A lot of my patients are innocents' bystanders that get caught in their conflicts. They tell me to avoid the place if I can." Anders explained.
Bethany shook her head in disgust at the slavers and Coterie. "Aren't you afraid of running into one of them?"
Anders laughed loudly. "Like we have anything to fear from petty criminals." Anders waved his staff. "They won't know what hit them."
Bethany smiled at the ex-warden's cockiness.
"Here we go." Anders exclaimed as pulled out a plank of wood hiding a covered in chains and locks. Bethany quickly pulled out the key and pushed keyhole at the door. It slipped in perfectly and Bethany unlocked the door, but the chain blocked her from opening the door. Anders lifted his arms about to destroy the chains and all.
"Wait! I don't want to raise any alarm. Only the slavers and my family know about this door." Bethany explained quickly. Anders nodded in understanding. "You want to be sneaky. I think I know just the place to borrow some sneaky. Come on."
"You know a lot of things." Bethany commented as she followed Anders again.
"I am more than just a pretty face, you know." Anders joked as he started to climb up a ladder. He stopped when he saw the Bethany wasn't following. "Are you okay? Do you need help with the basket?" The ex-warden asked.
"Why are you doing this? "Bethany asked after a long pause. "Why are you so nice?"
"For starters, I don't like slavers, so any plan to take a mansion from them is okay in my book. Also you are very pretty with those big eyes that beckon to help you." Bethany felt herself blush and that make Anders smile warmly. "Plus, I think we have a lot in common. Birds of a feather and all that rot" Anders eluded with a wink before returning to his climb.
It was not that Bethany didn't trust Anders. He had so far the best reputation in her list of acquaintances: Saving her from slavers, running a free clinic, and knowing healing magic placed the ex-warden at the top, but he seemed to be really going out of his way to help her. Maybe he was normally like this? So Bethany placed basket handle on her shoulder and followed up the ladder. "Where is this place to get some sneaky?"
"Do you know a pub called the Hanged Man?" Anders asked as helped up the last few steps.
"I know of it." Bethany admitted. It was a filthy hole filled with questionable business deals and lousy ale according to Garrett. According to Carver, something interesting was always happening there and it was owned by a dwarf. According to Marian, who is too young to patron there, the place even reeks from the outside.
"I am sure we can find someone there." Anders explained as they got on a trolley to Lowtown.