Chapter 36: Good Deeds
"Tell me Seeker," Varric began, "Have you ever heard the saying: 'No good deed goes unpunished?'"
Cassandra Pentaghast snorted, but nodded her head.
Varric chuckled to himself.
"Kirkwall is full of stories that prove that saying true. No more so true than those that involves the champion."
The Seeker snorted again.
Varric gave her an arched look.
"Is that reaction for me saying that the champion did good deeds or simply for me as a storyteller?"
"Your words have had the ring of truth so far," she answered him, "But do not test me dwarf. You still have much more to share before I decide your final fate here."
Again Varric sighed.
"As you say Seeker," he murmured, "Just remember, you said that you wanted the truth here, and that is what I'm giving you. It may not fit easily into whatever report your superiors want to hear."
Cassandra again chose to say nothing. Which was more telling than her simply dismissing him.
Varric had been hearing the rumors coming out of Orlais, just like everyone else.
He had heard a few things about the Seekers lately, not all of them good.
"You seem to want to hear more about the Templars and mages, not that that is surprising," the dwarf added, "Let me tell you something about those issues, it was not as black and white as most people would like to think."
The Seeker's eyes narrowed.
"I will reserve such judgments until I hear what you have to say dwarf," she said grimly.
"Continue you with story."
"As you say Seeker," he answered with a tired sigh.
"As you say."
IOI
Moira returned to Gamlen's hovel after another hard day on the coast.
She wrinkled her nose slightly. As always the smell was the first thing that welcomed her home, followed closely by the Mabari pup she had taken in following her adventures on the wounded coast.
The young Mabari bounced happily, wagging his stubby tail. She laughed lightly and gave him a good scratch behind the ears, which was usually all the little hound wanted when she was around.
She looked around briefly at her Uncle's home, though she used the term loosely.
She did not intend for this to be their home much longer, though she recognized the need to be careful, especially after today's exploit.
For every friend she had made in Kirkwall, she was also making enemies.
Today, she had made a particularly powerful one.
IOI
She had accepted a job from a city Magistrate; the man had sought her out, having heard of her rather…colorful reputation. He had charged her with returning an escaped criminal to his custody.
The final results of that job were not to his liking.
Moira had gathered Fenris, Merrill, and Isabela and had taken off in pursuit; they found the man hiding in a creature infested ruin not far from the city. The guard, having trapped him inside, was waiting for him to emerge, ready to take him back into custody.
It was there that she had learned the truth about the man, and his crimes. It was there that the first conflict with the job emerged.
The man had been charged with the killing of several elven children, and had recently taken another. The girl's father was waiting with the guards who had tracked him to this place. Not surprisingly, the elven man demanded the killer's death both for his own child, and the others that had fallen as well.
The knowledge mad the bile rise in Moira's throat. She had killed in self-defense, many times in fact, but the thought of killing an innocent child.
Such a crime had no excuse.
She led the others in, searching for the child killer. They were confronted by several giant spiders, not to mention several demons that had been trapped in these ruins for ages. Finding demons here was not surprising, the ruin appeared Tevinter in origin, and given the Imperium's abuses of their slaves, not to mention their use of blood rituals, demons were far too common a thing in the wild areas of Kirkwall.
After several brief battles, they discovered that the child the man had taken was still alive, a young girl about nine or ten, named Lia. Surprisingly the girl spoke up for her captor, saying that it was not his fault, that the poor man was plagued by demons, and that it was they who were truly guilty here. Merrill agreed to escort the girl outside, the way was mostly clear, but Hawke was still not sure they had gotten all the beasts hiding in the shadows. She preferred that the child have an escort. She had no desire to see the girl die after all this.
They probed deeper into the ruins until they had found the prisoner, a man known as Kelder.
Moira spoke with him briefly, long enough to get to the bottom of what was happening.
The whole thing made her feel dirty.
It seemed that their employer had not been entirely honest with them.
Kelder, it seemed, was the Magistrate's son, and the boy's father had done everything he could to try and protect him. He had approached the Templars about his son's claims, but they had concluded that the boy was simply mad, that no actual demons plagued him.
The only demons here were the ones made up by the man's troubled mind.
It had not been the first time he had escaped his father's custody, and once again he had surrendered to his obsession taking the girl and bringing her here. Yet, this time, he had resisted his dark impulse, he had told the girl to run. He had fled deeper into the ruins, hoping to die, hoping to be free of his demons.
Hawke shook her head.
Damn you, she thought as she looked at the young man, and damn your bastard father for putting us in this position.
If she returned Kelder to the Magistrate, his father, there was no reason to believe that the man would not escape again, he admitted that he had managed that several times already. He might even end up killing even more children. If she killed him, which her three allies seemed to think was the right idea, she would make an enemy of the boy's father. An enemy that would not forget what she had done here.
The mage frowned.
No matter what she did, she realized that she would come out a loser.
In the end she had to make a decision, the only one that she could make giving the circumstances.
She could defend herself.
The elven children of Kirkwall could not.
Her blade found Kelder's throat. The child killer collapsed to the stones of the Tevinter ruin's floor.
She had not been completely heartless however; she brought out the man's body, so that it could be given to his father for burning.
Lia's father rewarded them for her safe return, but as the guards took Kelder's body away, she knew that there would be reprisals for what she had done.
She had killed the son of a Magistrate.
He was not likely to forget that.
She had gone to Aveline after that. She wanted to make sure that she heard the whole story, not just what the guards who had waited outside those ruins reported to her. She told the guard captain the whole story. Afterward, they had gone together to see the Magistrate, who had had no words for Moira, not that she blamed him.
A child's death, even a child that had become a monster was not an easy thing to bear.
Now you know how all those elven parents who lost their children to his son felt, a churlish part of her wanted to say. She managed to hold her tongue; there was no point in throwing more fuel on this fire.
Aveline was not as quiet. The fact that there had been a child killer in her city, and that a magistrate had not told her was not something she forgave, or forgot.
She eyed the man coldly.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Ser," she had said, "but at the same time do not think that this matter will go uninvestigated, the murder of children is a serious crime, one that I will not allow to stand."
The guard captain glared at the man.
"The killer is dead, and I'm prepared to say that this matter is closed. I would not advise you to take any action that might make me…reconsider that decision. Further investigation may not be in your best interest."
She had let the veiled threat float in the air for a bit.
"Take my advice Ser," she advised, "and let this matter be."
The Magistrate had given her an icy look, but had left without another word, left to see to his son's burning.
After that, Aveline had advised her to go home and get some rest.
"You did the right thing, Hawke," she said, "The Viscount's headsman should have done it, and would have if that man had done his job."
The guard captain sighed.
"Though I would still be careful on the way home, just in case our dear Magistrate decides not to heed my warning..."
Moira nodded.
She would be careful…Magistrates can and did have powerful friends.
She would be careful, just in case.
IOI
Moira smiled as she entered Gamlen's home. It wasn't much, but at least she had her family.
She could have done without Uncle Gamlen, but…
"Hello everyone," she said.
"Hello dear," Leandra Hawke said from her place at Gamlen's writing desk. She was busy at work composing another letter, who it was to Moira could not say, but after having spoken with Pieter Trevelyan their mother had doubled her efforts to gain the Viscount's attention and acknowledgement of their rights to the family estate.
It might be a bit premature, they would not really be able to do anything until after the expedition, still…seeing her mother focused on something other than her losses warmed her eldest child's heart.
"Sister," Bethany said from her place by the hearth where she was tending the fire. Hawke was also grateful to see her sister here. Part of her had come to feel that she had been spending far too much time down in Anders clinic lately.
It was good to see back among her family….even Uncle Gamlen.
Her mother's brother snorted from the old chair by the fire. He barely acknowledged her, but that was not unusual.
She and Gamlen did not get along, that would likely never change. Unlike mother, she had not forgiven him for squandering mother's share of their family fortune. It might not have been the most charitable thing, but…
Charity did have its limits.
She sat her staff beside the door and joined Bethany by the fire, there had been a bit of a chill in the air on the way home, and it had left her with a bit of shiver, either that or it was fear for whatever reprisal that Magistrate might try.
Hopefully the man would be wise and take Aveline's advice, if he was not.
He glanced up at her sister. Bethany seemed a thousand leagues away, her lips curled into a slight smile. The sight heartened her a bit, for too long Bethany had been so morose, so fearful she…
Moira frowned.
"Beth," she said.
"Yeah, sis?"
"Where is your scarf?"
My scarf?" the younger Hawke said, her hand going to her bare neck.
Leandra looked up from her writing.
"Did something happen to your scarf dear?"
Bethany looked away, she blushed.
"No," she said quickly, "I…um…I must have left it in the clinic. Yes, that is right. I took it off when I was…um mixing some herbs, they are good for colds, but the smell stays on everything."
The girl gave a nervous giggle.
"I'll grab it next time I go see Anders."
Mother, distracted by her letter, nodded and went back to work. Gamlen barely acknowledged that anything had been said, he went back to reading.
Moira having grown up around Bethany, and therefore very familiar when she was not being entirely truthful, gave her sister an arched look.
"What is going on?" she mouthed.
"Nothing," Bethany replied, she got up and went into their small bedroom.
Hawke snorted and followed her little sister with her eyes.
She did not like Bethany's reaction.
It worried her.
"A man came with a letter for you niece," Gamlen said blandly not bothering to look up at her, "It is there by the door," he said pointing to the small table.
"Thank you Uncle," she said.
Gamlen snorted and went back to ignoring her.
I don't argue with him in front of mother, and he tells me when I get mail, she thought morosely.
That is probably as close to familial affection as the two of us will ever get.
She took up the letter and opened it.
The contents were a…mystery to say the least.
The letter contained a note, as well as a small well drawn map. The note was short, requesting that she come as soon as she could, lives were at stake.
The letter was signed: a friend.
Moira frowned.
The note was clearly written by a well-educated hand, she could tell that by lettering.
She was not exactly sure what to make of it, but it made her curious enough to go and see what was going on. It might be a trap but…
That is what friends were for, to make sure that you did not arrive unprepared, and besides…
…it would be nice to do something good; especially after how badly the job for the Magistrate had made her feel.
She welcomed the chance to do some good.
She called for Bethany and the two of them started out for the Hanged Man. They would gather a team and be on their way as quickly as possible; if the note was to be believed they had best hurry.
Lives were at stake.
IOI
The group made its way to a small cave not far from the road leading into Kirkwall. Bethany and Varric stayed close to her, eyes watching for any sign of ambush. Keran and Fenris brought up the rear. The former Templars and Tevinter elf had been playing cards when the Hawke sisters showed up looking for aid.
Neither man hesitated; they both rose and headed out without a further word of complaint.
Varric chatted amiably with Bethany, she seemed more relaxed than she had back home, perhaps welcoming a chance to get out of the city and Darktown.
She might have been doing good work helping Anders with the refugees, but even that could get trying in a city full of Templars. They…
They turned the corner and found themselves staring eye to eye with a single Templar. He looked familiar with his red hair and short beard but Hawke did not remember his name. His posture was relaxed, his sword and shield both sheathed.
"Mistress Hawke," he said with a slight nod.
"Thank you for coming so quickly."
He glanced over her shoulder at the former Templar following her.
"Hello Keran," he said.
"Ser Thrask," the blonde haired warrior said in greeting.
Bethany's eyes widened.
"It is him," she said, "The Templar that was hunting Arianni's son! Oh Maker I knew this was not a good idea!"
"I mean you no harm girl," he said in a soothing voice, keeping his hands away from his weapons.
He turned his eyes to Moira.
"I thank you for your discretion and kindness in helping me lay my daughter to rest," he said, "Olivia deserved better, but at least she is at peace, as for the matter of Feynriel, I have heard that you came up with a creative solution in keeping him out of the circle."
The Templar smiled slightly.
"I'm hoping that you will be able to be so…creative again."
Moira's eyes narrowed, she had no reason to trust the Templar…still…he had made her curious.
She was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
"I'm listening," she said.
Thrask smiled.
"There is a group of apostates hiding in the cave behind us. They are survivors of the Circle fire in Starkhaven."
Bethany's eyes narrowed, her fear suddenly turning to anger.
"WE will not hunt apostates for you!" she spat.
"Beth," Moira said, "Let the man speak."
"Sister, we can't! We…"
"Beth please," Moira said harshly.
"I said let him speak."
Bethany's mouth snapped shut, though her honey brown eyes darkened in anger as she regarded Ser Thrask.
Moira sighed. She sympathized with her sister; she truly did, but…
She was not Anders. She would not strike down a Templar for no reason. Had he wanted these apostates dead, he could simply have sent for reinforcements.
No.
Thrask was after something else here.
She wanted to find out what that was.
"Go on Ser Thrask," she said.
"Tell me more."