Hawke has received a note from Meeran, saying that he wished to talk to him at night to discuss a possible job. He met Meeran bringing Carver, Aveline, Varric and Merrill.
"Well, if it ain't my favourite new citizens," Meeran smirked. "What are you doing here? Did you finally figure out being free and poor in Kirkwall ain't worth a rat's spit?"
"You have offer for me?" said Hawke crossing his arms.
"You mean you're not too good for my kind of work? Because the blokes I hired after you couldn't find their ass with both hands," he turned and looked down at the docks. "I sent them to take out Lord Harimann while he was preparing his cargo for shipping. Night-time, docks, simple. Never came back."
"I haven't heard a job in this yet," Hawke noticed.
"The jobs the same—kill Harimann—but there'll be a bonus if you find my men alive."
"I'm sure I can finish what they started."
"They were supposed to ambush him at the docks. That'd be the best place to start looking. And remember, Harimann dead, my lad Gustav alive. Other way around, then you won't get paid."
It was dawn when they reached the docks and they found several guards that had to be in the employment of Lord Harimann. Taking them down was a cinch and they found Gustav laying there.
"H-Hawke? I-I've seen you with Meeran before. Did he send you to get me?" Gustav asked clutching his arm. "Harimann's guards killed all my men. I thought I gave them the slip, but they found me. You tell Meeran I never turned on him."
"You were very dedicated," said Hawke and helped him up.
"We did it just like we trained. Followed at a distance, wait for nightfall…" Gustav shook his head. "His rear guard saw us coming. They fell on us from all sides."
"Which any professional should have expected," said a voice.
They turned and found a man in his sixties standing behind them.
"That's him. That's Lord Harimann," said Gustav.
"Most of my enemies would not stoop this low. Are you working for Conrad Tulli? Perhaps Lady Reinhardt?"
"What have you done to get so many people want you dead?" Hawke asked astounded.
Lord Harimann frowned at him. "You sound Ferelden. So you should know I'm the one who convinced the viscount to send aid to Denerim. Many of my fellow nobleman resent that. They want me dead before he sends the money, so that they can reclaim Kirkwall. Will you kill me for this?"
Hawke wouldn't. "This is not a job I can complete."
The two of them then shook hands.
"Thank you, Ferelden. When I learn who sent you, I will be sure to leave you out of any retribution."
Lord Harimann then walked away and Hawke turned his eyes upon Gustav.
"I-I don't want to be the one to tell Meeran you did that," he said before running off.
He returned to Meeran to claim his award and Gustav, true to his word, had not said anything about the incident with Lord Harimann. While he did not get as much money as he would have, he still got a bit from rescuing Gustav.
The next morning Hawke discovered a flyer requesting the aid of rescuing the viscount's son, Saemus. However, when he went up team to meet with Seneschal Bran he discover that someone else was on his trail.
He was talking to what he assumed to be a mercenary, who didn't have a very friendly face. In fact she looked as if she would kill you if you looked at her funny.
"Insist if you must, but Viscount Dumar will not see anyone!" said Bran. "If you have news of Saemus I will relay it to him."
"Fine," the woman snapped. "Tell Dumar my scouts have tracked the boy and his qunari captured to the Wounded Coast. I'm taking a full company after them, and when I return, I expect him to make a show of the reward."
"So many to deal with one qunari seems… excessive," said Bran raising an eyebrow.
"He maybe Tal-Vashoth. The Winters leave nothing to chance." She then walked off and nearly ran into Hawke. "I'll do my bloody way!"
Bran sighed when he saw Hawke. "Yes, what is it?"
"If this is about a rescue, that woman did not seem the type," Hawke noted.
Bran nodded. "She's the type I afraid we would attract. As I told the others, Viscount Dumar's son, Saemus, is missing. We suspect he was taken by Qunari. I have certainly granted no exclusivity to the Winters and their violent approach."
They went on talking about Saemous disappearance, Bran told them the boy was over sympathetic mind, and about the Winters violent nature.
"The boy will be home soon enough," said Hawke.
"Declare it if you like, but the Lord goes to whoever brings him back safe," said Bran. "A discussion you're welcome to have with the Winters should you encounter them. On the Wounded Coast."
Hawke along with Aveline, Carver, Merrill and Isabela searched around the Wounded Coast and they found Saemus on his knees in front of the body of a dead Qunari. The Winters leader, Ginnis, was standing over him with a sword in and covered in blood.
"And the world's rid of one more Qunari. Easier than I expected," she said smiling. She then looked to a man. "Call the men back. We've got an appointment with the viscount. Isn't that right, Saemus?"
"Ashaad… you killed him," he said weakly. "You… you vashedan bitch!"
Hawke had a feeling this Saemus was going way over his head and naturally he was right. Ginnis threatened to cut out his tongue and when they stepped in she turned and fought them.
After the battle the young nobleman all but spat on her corpse. "Dead and good riddance but…" He glanced at them. "She said she was waiting for more. A lot more."
"Then we ready ourselves," Aveline said.
He loved it when she got all authoritative like that. Made him feel official. "Strip the camp, and we'll ready a fitting welcome."
As soon as the rest of the Winters started down the hill, he called up a lightning storm. The few that made it down met the blades of Carver, Isabela and Aveline. He called down fire on the other path and Merrill by a bolt of electricity.
"Oh Andraste, I've never seen so many corpses. So much blood." Seamus was looking a little green.
"We'll get through this. Hold on a little longer. There may be more coming." He gestured for the young man to get behind cover.
The next batch faired, if anything, slightly worse than the first batch. One man actually tripped over the body of one of his comrades and impaled himself on his own knife.
When it was done, he went to check on Seamus. He found the young man kneeling next to the the dead Qunari. "Ashaad never lied, never coddled. You were worth his time, or you were not." He rose, slowly. "They are not the brutes others claim they are. Take me to my father, and I will try again to make him see."
"Father…"
Years practically lifted off the Viscount's face as he saw his son. "My son. I thought I'd lost you."
"Enough, Father."
Seneschal Bran forestalled the oncoming argument. "Uh, allow me to present one Serah Hawke, Excellency. He fulfilled the bounty."
"You have my gratitude. I hope you encountered no great difficulties on my son's behalf."
"There were complications, but I am privileged to keep your son from harm."
"I was told the Winters had involved themselves. Was there no way to avoid an incident?"
Seamus stepped forward. "They murdered my friend. Where is the concern for that?"
"It was my understanding you were captured alone, foolishly traipsing about the coast as you do."
"I was not captured, I was with Ashaad. The Qunari. They are not monsters to be feared." Seamus gestured. "If you would just try to understand, others would see as well."
"Better that you were thought abducted than to have their influence suspected in my own family… benign or not, it's too much."
This was started to get awkward. "There is no middle ground?" said Hawke crossing his arms. "It sounds like you've both been hardheaded."
"That is… quite enough!" said Bran. He then looked towards the viscount. "My apologies, Excellently, for this intrusion into personal matters!" He gave Hawke his reward and gestured towards the door. "There is no… just… move!"
Afterwards Isabela left them and they met up with Fenris and Varric. They're wandering through the marketplace when they heard yelling.
"What you mean you can't help me?" said a man angrily to a city guard.
"This is a domestic matter, serah. If your wife has chosen to leave you, there's nothing we can do."
"Ninette is my wife! She's legally bound to me. Bring her back!" the man demanded.
"We're done here," said the guardsmen and he left with his men.
"Useless!" he spat. "Why are we still paying those sluggards?"
"Your wife is missing?" said Hawke. "I can try and find her if you like."
Man quickly turned to him with relief. "Yes! Oh, I've been waiting for someone to say that. That foolish woman has caused me nothing but embarrassment. She needs to be dragged home."
"I can't imagine why she would run away," said Fenris.
The man sighed. "Yes, yes, my wife and I don't get along. But that's not the important thing! Her family is getting suspicious. They think I might have… done something to her. Even if—Well, I just want to make sure they know I didn't do it!"
It figures that he would care more about himself than the safety of his wife. "You're more concerned what her family thinks than what happened to her?"
"Ninette keeps the company of other men and makes no secret of it. I'd be better off with her gone." He then sighed. "Well, as long as her family knows I had nothing to do with it. They'd ruin me otherwise."
Hawke narrowed his eyes. "You don't care that Ninette might be hurt or dead. You sicken me."
"You've never lived with her!" he spat back. He then shook his head. "It wasn't always like that. We were in love once. She defied her parents to marry me. Sometimes I wonder if I dream to those years."
"I'll try my best to find Ninette and bring home," Hawke assured.
"You should talk to Jethann at the Blooming Rose." He then clenched his fists. "I didn't know she visited whores. Until Jethann sent a letter. To our house! He even sent flowers once. Lilies—her favourite." He then flung his arms in frustration. "Bah. Talking about it makes my head hurt. Good luck to you, serah."
He went straight to the Blooming Rose and met Jethann and he informed them that a templar by the name of Emeric was also looking for Ninette. He also informed them that they could find the templar in Darktown
They found Emeric being set upon by thugs. Hawke sighed. It was probably too much to ask that the templar not notice the amount of spells being thrown around.
The man got back to his feet, and gave him a respectful nod. "I thank you, serah, for coming along when you did. I am Emeric."
Hawke gave him an appraising look. If he'd noticed the spells, he didn't seem to be inclined to try arresting him. Of course, the fact that Hawke was in the company of the Guard-Captain might have something to do with that. "Just the person I'm looking for, I need to speak with you about Ninette."
Emeric nodded. "Ah. Ghyslain de Carrac's wife, Ninette. Her disappearance interested me. I tried looking into it. However, the investigation has been a waste of time."
"Did you learn nothing?"
"Most people just say she left her husband. This all started when Mharen—one of our Circle mages—disappeared. I found it odd. She was a bit older and hardly adventurous. Then I heard about Ninette and two other missing women."
"I had a friend who disappeared once," Varric said. "Turns out he was under my bed, drunk." Varric glanced up at the looks they rest were giving him. "What?"
Emeric just shook his head. "I think the disappearances are connected, and I suspect foul play is involved."
Hawke frowned. "Doesn't the Circle use phylacteries to keep track of its mages?"
Emeric nodded. "We followed her phylactery to a foundry, but found nothing. I had heard of sympathisers smuggling mages through Darktown, so came here hoping to pick up the trail. But no trace of Mharen. And, as you've seen, asking the locals hasn't made me very popular."
"Mages routinely flee the Circle. Perhaps Mharen just wanted freedom?"
Emeric shook his head. "She had always been loyal. She received lilies from an unknown suitor, and some of us thought she may have gone to meet him. Perhaps her disappearance was linked."
Hawke remembered Ghyslain mentioning that Ninette had received lilies, it could have been a coincidence.
"Can I assist your investigation?" Hawke asked.
"It's no longer my investigation, serah," Emeric sighed. "You may take over, if you wish. This battle showed that I'm no longer the warrior I used to be. I know when to walk away." He met Hawke's eyes just briefly, and then handed him over small parcel. "Here. Take my findings. Perhaps you can make more use of them. I'm going back to the Gallows. I'm too old for this."
Hawke watched him go. "I think he might have noticed that me and Merrill are mages."
Aveline sighed, and nodded. "I think he may also have noticed you are trying to help."
"What a nice templar," said Merrill.
"We should go look into this foundry, then?"
They found the foundry and Hawke caught sight of someone slipping away. However, before he could apprehend him, they were attacked by demons. Shades and desire.
"Demons," Fenris said. "Summoned by another mage, no doubt"
"Look around," Hawke said.
A few minutes of searching revealed a bag, dropped by whoever had fled. Hawke glanced inside, and then recoiled. "Well… that's…"
"Bones. And a severed hand," Aveline said.
"We should take the ring to Ghyslain. It may be Ninette's. And let Emeric know what we found."
They met up with Emeric in the Gallows. "You might want to see this," said Hawke and handed him the remains. "This was left in the foundry you mentioned in your notes. I was also attacked by shades."
"These are human bones," said Emeric and sighed. "Then there is no chance of finding Mharen alive—or any of the others."
"I saw someone leave the scene, but they got away. I'm sorry."
"It was more than I accomplished."
"My people have been slow to react, but this needs official support," said Aveline.
Emeric nodded. "I will bring this to the city guard immediately. It should be enough to convince then the disappearances are worth investigating."
Jethann did not take news of Ninette's death well. It appeared he actually had been genuinely fond of the woman.
Ghyslain may have taken the news better. He even managed to speak of Ninette fondly. Hawke decided not to tell him the actual circumstances of his recovery of the ring.
"I've heard of this Kirkwall Killer," said Cassandra crossing her arms. "And now we know the Champion's link to the Viscount Dumar."
"Sadly both tales have a tragic ending," said Leliana. "Though I believe were getting off track."
"Indeed, I wonder how long the dwarf's tale true is."