The Dragon Age world, plot, and their characters aren't mine but belong to Bioware. Some characters may be my creations. I get no money for writing this sequel.

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Grey Warden Prison, Tower Base

Hawke:

Those gloves we found were alarmingly supple for the age of the things we found in the sarcophagus. These were only scraps of bones, long ago smashed by other visitors who wanted a secure place to stash things. Most of it was junk now, but the gloves and shield seemed brand new under a heavy layer of old dust.

Varric put on one of the other half gloves that went well with his coat. "This is smooth, too bad it's not in a matched pair."

"You want to wear Warden gear? You like trouble." I thought he wasn't as neutral as he often pretended.

"Fenris was right, you attract more trouble than your share, even aside from Blondie's cause." Varric didn't exactly meet my eyes. "Had enough of all that with Bartrand."

I wasn't sure what he wasn't saying. I spread my arms and said, "I take that 'unprovoked harm' part of the Chant seriously, Varric. So much of it has been blaming and punishing the wrong people for when shit happens. I hold individuals responsible for their choices. Patrice deserved the blame for Saemus' death, the collapse of his father, and provoking the Arishok."

"...and brother dear blamed the world that he wasn't a deshyr in the Orzammar Assembly instead of shoddy deal-breaking." Varric looked at Anders who was briefly oblivious in thought. "When does it stop?"

"When we die and ask the Maker or the Stone if we guessed right. I want to stop these back and forth arguments. Sometimes both sides have real issues, sometimes one side has only fiction. But it must end so people can just plain live. A freed mage has no more right to abuse a Templar than the latter had the right to abuse the mage." Some things were getting clearer as time passed.

"You got a tough one there, Hawke. And no, I don't want the gear. I'd worry some Warden might think I wanted to Join..."

Glad to see the smirk returning, I returned it. "It's so much fun, all the darkspawn you can kill."

"I look terrible in blue and Bianca prefers fresh air."

Fenris stepped back down into the chamber. "Are you done yet?"

"We found some old coins, collectors might even pay more than face value, Broody." Varric brought out a fistful of loose coins.

"Fine. You can study them later," said the elf.

Bethany had been edgy about that big statue, so it was no surprise when she almost marched ahead toward the shrine. I was wary as soon as I got a really good look at it. Looking at it felt like a blade in your back or maybe acid in your spine. Offering plates were empty. With all the old and dusty makeshift altars we'd seen so far, seeing these gold plates both clean and bare was alarming. This was still actively used.

Bethany and Fenris had stayed at the top of the steps, and Varric was looking at one of six urns that circled the room. It just felt evil, even empty. The Dalish carvings and even Paragon worship never felt like this; they were just different.

Fenris demanded we destroy the shrine, and I agreed. Not that I wanted to touch it with my bare hands. But as soon as I approached the altar, a loud voice rang out with words like what were on those parchments and journals.

I sprang back onto the low stair-wall in surprise, expecting an attack. Everyone went tense, and ready for it.

Nothing happened.

I stepped carefully back on the floor. "Defile an altar, how's that done again? What would offend a dead god?"

"Decorating it with rotting or fermenting foods, and piling it with bodily wastes were usual when any shrine was taken." Anders spoke without inflection, even his tiny, brown braids unmoving.

That I could approve, but I wasn't quite in the mood to ask for volunteers. "We'll have to settle with breaking this in many pieces..." I stopped and stepped forward to start breaking it.

As soon as I knocked stuff away, light and heat flared around me.

"Look out!" Fenris shouted, his lyrium already glowing as he moved.

I moved to where lava seemed to be flowing upward out of the stone floor, and I saw another rage demon was forming near Fenris. I moved to attack the demon's rear and rolled away before it could form new arms to attack me.

A quick scan of the battle showed Anders and Bethany casting ice and fire all around them. Paws was attacking a shade on his own that was behind Varric.

The demon I'd attacked was roaring up in front of the spilled salver. Why physical weapons worked on a demon of fire wasn't my problem, but it was his.

Soon I was the only one left and I looked again to see who needed help. Paws was still attacking one, so I helped him finish it. Moments later they were all defeated and dispersing.

"Good pup," I said as I scratched Paws' ears.

"Hawke?" Anders' eyes were big and lips pouting. The humor was almost hidden completely.

I could feel the face I made, but I only rolled my eyes and said, "Fine."

He stepped closer, and dropped to his knees beside Paws and leaned against me, rubbing his cheek against my armor as he held me close.

I scratched his head to the sound of snickers from around me. Mew was holding on to Anders' armor and looking annoyed, before dropping off to stalk away. Paws looked almost bemused, too.

Anders trembled, and I wasn't sure if it was from his fears of Corypheus or remembering happier play back in the mansion.

When a puff of his warm breath and a tiny spark made it inside my armor, I was sure. The sneak. My stomach was clenching and I almost wondered how far he would go.

Remembering tales of Kinloch decided me, so I pinched his shoulder. "Bad puppy."

Anders looked up, his eyes sparkling and normal. "That would desecrate the altar really well..."

We were in a bubble of silence. I wasn't sure if it was real or just me. "I..."

Pitching his voice louder, he called over. "Bethany, how's the whispering right now?"

Sister answered, "Quiet... nothing. How can that be?"

"The dreamer is quiet, Dera. We're offending him." Anders stood, keeping hold of both my hands. "What would offend a Magister more, one that believes non-mages are of no value, than my loving you as an equal? We become his nightmare."

Fenris chuckled and I heard a scrape. When I turned, he was leaning Bethany against the wall next to the altar and kissing her.

After an instant she was kissing him back.

Varric whistled quietly. "I would have made book, that Blondie would have done that first but..."

Anders, challenged maybe, or free of that weight for a change, swept me over to the altar for a heated kiss.

I smacked him after a moment. "I do not want that thing looming over us while we do that."

"Whatever, love." Anders grinned.

Varric was grinning. "I can't take any of you anywhere."

Calling over to Bethany and Fenris where they were just staring at each other, I said, "Time to break this statue apart."

They weren't saying much, but they were quick to help.

I wasn't going to interfere, unless he treated her badly. I should tell him that soon.

We ended up burning some into slag and chucking the pieces out into the water as far as we could in different directions. Then we desecrated the shrine some more as Varric whistled on watch. We left it barren and empty, which made me feel better.

The only path that didn't lead into the unsettling water went vaguely toward the tower base now, through a building with a big gap in the wall. As soon as I got closer, I could see the far wall was broken by another entrance. Gatehouse or command post, it was only a shell.

"Something's moving!" Fenris said before Paws was done growling. "Spiders?"

"Deep Road's lousy with them." Varric drew Bianca out and prepared.

"Darkspawn can't have all the fun." I could see neither Anders nor Bethany were smiling now. I stepped forward and looked out into the next open area without stepping out.

Varric had edged to the doorway too and whispered, "Lookie, lookie. Deep stalkers too."

"And the spiders are attacking them." Fenris sounded pleased.

"Let them." This comment from Justice was not a whisper.

I pulled the others back as a single deep stalker wandered without any urgency towards us. I killed it easily. "Let them come to us through the doorway."

"You don't mind that we killed it, do you, Glowy?" Varric watched for more coming our way.

Justice just stared at Varric, for the nickname or the snark.

I stepped next to him, close enough to feel his body's warmth. His eyes glowed brighter as his arms went around me, almost reluctantly.

Anders' brown eyes appeared again and he sounded disgusted. "Deep stalkers, too?"

He sounded surprised.

"I killed that one minutes ago." He wasn't usually that out of it when they changed, and that made me afraid again. I didn't want to mention the gap.

Bethany peeked around the corner at where the creatures were still fighting. "This is almost boring. They just keep fighting each other... wait, another one's coming this way."

"Sunshine, I can wait. It'll sound better when I revise it." Varric nudged her out of the way so he could shoot before the stalker got near.

"Back! The largest spider has died. The surviving pack will come this way." Fenris' blade nearly barred the opening.

Anders' cage-spell appeared around the nearest along with a bright ball of fire, and the already wounded creatures died.

My sister grinned at the frowning Fenris. "We had plenty of time to recover energy."

I took Anders' hand in both mine for a moment, and his face softened, if only a little. I was alarmed that his body didn't relax this time.

We left the building and the open area had a shallow hill in the middle. When I looked over one deep stalker was eating spider and noticed us.

Anders finished it, with one hand still gripping mine like iron.

I could see from the top of the hill that here was a smaller bridge and causeway than the wider and finished one that had been destroyed. "Let's check these ruins for any remaining stalkers and then go in."

"No darkspawn, though. I almost wish we could get some kind of warning for the spiders." Bethany shuddered.

Poking inside one ruin we found another crude carving. I looked carefully at it for any resemblance to the temple statue and tossed it into the greenish lake. "Coins would be more useful."

The other building shell had another Legion on the Dead set of armor tucked into a corner. Limbs were gone, but the heavy armor and rotten bow told the story of his last stand.

That was too easy to empathize with, and I met Anders' worried eyes.

Varric seemed almost reluctant when he pulled another journal from the remains. "I hadn't known the Legion were such writers. I need to meet more of them."

"We can introduce you, Varric." I wondered if he really wanted to go to Orzammar, but he only laughed.

Flipping through the pages, Varric went back one before he began to read. "This place is cursed. For ten years, Paragon Garen has been sending Legionnaires to search out our lost heir. Now I know what's become of them. There's no way out. This is no normal part of the Deep Roads. There's lyrium worked into the walls, into the Stone itself, some kind of human magic. From the outside, it looks like just another tunnel, but walk in and it's a prison. There is no way past the barriers, no way forward, no way back. But the trap remains open to every beast, darkspawn, and dwarf that wanders in.

"My brothers in the Legion have died, and I have done my best to lay their spirits to rest in the Stone. I am the last. There will be no one to do the same for me, or for Tethras, if he too was snared by this noose. For you, my prince, I wish you the Stone's blessing. May someone recite the ritual words over your bones and return your spirit to the Stone."

Varric coughed and his voice was rough. "Those were the last words of Bashath Garen, Legion of the Dead. He must have been another member of the Paragon's clan, guilty or foolish..."

"Those poor dwarves. They were just trying to help someone, and they've been trapped here for centuries." Bethany frowned. "I don't think that Tethras would want Bashath or others to die like this for him."

"Don't underestimate guilt and wanting to talk to Tethras just one more time..." I understood that all too well. I never expected that chance to talk to Carver last autumn. Hearing Papa here was so very painful.

"We will, at the Maker's side," Bethany declared.

I wasn't sure if she was convinced or trying to convince herself. I didn't think I would get there. "Varric, are you going to do the speech for this guy?"

"I don't believe in that back to the Stone stuff." Varric wasn't his usual confident self.

I waited a long moment before saying anything else. "This is what they believed and it's not evil." I hoped he would and was glad Bethany stayed quiet aside from an intake of air. I'd give it a try if he wouldn't.

Finally Varric spoke and I couldn't make the words sound like words I knew, aside from maybe the Aeducan clan name.

We were silent as we approached the new causeway. Paws stayed close to me and seemed to be watching Anders more than anyone else.

Bethany wasn't as stoic about the growing odor. "What is that smell? I think I'm going to pass out!"

The near side of the bridge washed away at some point and drier dirt was piled and pressed high enough that we wouldn't step in the water. I wasn't sure what the smell could be coming from. The dirt path looked bone dry and split with one narrow part going to a building surrounded by water.

"This was underwater, once." Fenris stepped carefully to avoid touching the glowing puddle.

Varric sniffed as he crossed to the peninsula. "A warehouse, housing? I don't know what it could be without an entrance."

The smell wasn't as strong, and tucked up on high ground was the remains of another old and dried corpse. Maybe the water kept the scavengers away. "Another body's over here."

Varric took a look. "This isn't Legion armor, no clan symbols either... Wait, looks like something was pried off. It could have been Garen, I'm just not sure."

"Could it hurt, even if it isn't him?" I wasn't sure what his expression meant, just that it wasn't a happy one.

Varric stood upright. "Atrast tunsha. Totarnia amgetol tavash aeduc. The Stone's blessings on you, so far from the thaig of Garen. Return to the Stone."

His voice choked again, Varric said, "Now let's get out of here, Hawke, before you see me cry."

When I looked ahead, the rest of the causeway was narrow, with maybe a wagon turnaround halfway across. I was sure there would be darkspawn before we crossed. "Break-time, move back."

Once inside that last ruin, I whispered into Anders' ear. "Mind if I talk to Varric for a moment?"

Turning, his lips grazed mine and he pulled me close. "No... I mean yes, I do mind, love. I need you close to me..."

I knew this, but he'd used that line many times in a different situation. I may have snorted, trying to stifle a laugh.

Anders drew back, but I interrupted that before he took it the wrong way. "Anders, I'm sorry. But usually when you need me close it means something else." Then I couldn't hold in a few more laughs.

That made him smile. "That too, but not with the darkspawn up there. You talk to Varric, I'll be quiet."

I asked a quiet Varric if we could talk away from my sister and Fenris. The dwarf rolled his eyes; I would have preferred talking to him over some good alcohol. I didn't feel guilty about nearly twisting his arm to make him say the ceremonial words. Well, not much.

When I looked out over the lake that glowed in the darkness, Anders was a warmth up and down my back as I spoke. "Are you going to tell his story? I think he deserves it. So do the many sent down here to try to give him a kind of comfort."

"Doesn't matter," Varric said gruffly. "He was another clan, in an Orzammar caste. We have nothing in common but the name."

"Varric! What are you saying? You don't believe that," I was past worried, Varric was always about the story. I didn't want to sound naive. "His story isn't bullshit because some bored idiots aren't as interested in the past. Aren't your Stone Heartbreaker books popular?"

"How many have you read, Hawke?" Varric asked sadly.

I could feel myself flush. "Well, I never read stories like that. Usually I fall asleep from exhaustion, or Anders interrupts. I look for books somewhere between dry histories and bawdy stuff."

Flatly, he summarized, "So you didn't read them."

Frustrated because this wasn't what I was trying to say. "Okay, I'm an idiot. I admit it, I avoided every bookseller that were selling Tales of the Champion..."

Anders coughed. "I've read two now, Varric. They're good, as long as I can manage to ignore the names you used. Though the harem story was a little intimida..."

"Anders!" I twisted so I could look him in the eye.

His expression was like I'd caught him with his hands in a cookie jar. "Love? I... ah, bought one in Orzammar. The other appeared in my pack and I think it was Sigrun's little joke. A few books like that were smuggled into Kinloch and we tried to recreate them..."

My face was so warm, I wondered if I was going to catch fire.

Varric was quietly laughing, and at least it cheered him.

I sighed. "Regardless of my taste in reading, Varric. You tell stories, and the original Tethras' story was never told and it should. Who else could tell it right? Is this reluctance about his story or yours?"

"Dunno, Hawke. Storytelling isn't as much fun when you've had to do it with a blade at your throat," Varric said while looking at me. "There's a Seeker who wanted to know everything about you when I got back to Kirkwall after a quick tour of the Waking Sea. She searched your estate and wasn't satisfied with what was left there. She called me on some details when I was getting creative. Not all, though."

Sighing, I asked, "Who is she and how much do I need to watch for her?"

More comfortable in telling this story, Varric said, "I don't know for sure, she wasn't that friendly. I think she was out of Nevarre, possibly Cumberland. She might not be a threat, I wasn't quite sure. I think she might have been developing a little crush on you, Hawke."

"Hah, as if I wasn't happy with Anders," I said.

"Well, Hawke, that Seeker was a looker and rich. That's never a bad thing," Varric grinned.

Anders stayed quiet this time, though he clutched me closer.

I said, "She's lacking something I'm very fond of. And I'm not all that fond of the Chantry either."

My mage sighed and bent over enough to rest his chin on my shoulder.

"Maybe," Varric said doubtfully. "You believe."

"That won't buy much mercy from the Chantry."

Varric rubbed his chin. "You're both survivors and I'm not betting against you two. Malcolm Hawke must have been a bit of a rogue to get away as clean as he did. I'd love to know about Anders' kin too."

Anders kept his voice only slightly bitter. "They farmed in the Anderfels and were good Chantry folk. There isn't much else to say."

"That can't be all. How saturated are your family trees with Wardens? With mages? With noble lines? These puzzles are missing pieces." Varric wasn't pleading, not quite.

I shrugged. "That hasn't been a priority. A powerful, noble grandfather I never met didn't help me all that much. Now, Kirkwall isn't anyplace I can safely visit very long."

"That did not stop, you, Hawke." Fenris came closer with Bethany. "Not when The Carta rose up."

Anders pulled me down to the ground, but sat in front of me. I was feeling a little drowsy. I leaned a little against him as they talked and began to undo the little braids in his brown hair. It was starting to look a little lighter at the roots, but I tied it back the way it belonged.

Anders seemed very relaxed and leaned back against me before I drifted off.

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A/N: Thanks to my beta reader who has been kind enough to read this and point out stupid flubs. Any typos that remain are not intentional... Reviews or a PM to let me know what you think would be very appreciated.