Isabela was in the mansion, talking to Fenris. "You know, you could go anywhere you like, now."

Fenris nodded curtly. "I'm aware of that."

"Oh." Isabela's eyes brightened. "You could become a raider. You could join my crew."

"What crew?" Fenris raised an eyebrow.

Isabela stood, and put her hands on her hips. "Well, with that attitude, you're never going anywhere, are you?" She sashayed out of the room, deliberately bumping Hawke with her hip as she did so.

Fenris sighed. "She doesn't understand. Yes, I am free. Danarius is dead. Yet… it doesn't feel like it should."

"You thought killing him would solve everything, but it doesn't." Hawke took the seat Isabela had vacated.

"I suppose not." Fenris was staring at his hands contemplatively. "I thought if I didn't need to run and fight to stay alive, I would finally be able to live as a free man does. But how is that?" He leaned back. "My sister is gone, and I have nothing—not even an enemy."

"Maybe that just means there's nothing holding you back."

"Hmm. An interesting thought. It's just…" He sighed apologetically. "Difficult to overlook the stain that magic has left on my life. If I seem bitter, it's not without cause. Perhaps it is time to move forward. I just don't know where that leads." He looked up at Hawke. "Do you?"

"Nobody knows the future Fenris."

"The future of a slave is never uncertain," said Fenris looking at his hands. "But I'm no longer slave. Perhaps it's time I remember that." He then got up. "Thank you, Hawke. I would never have thought to call a mage a friend, yet he you are. Where are the future leads, I hope it is at your side."

Inside the clinic, Anders was arguing with a very annoyed looking Aveline. "You think I don't know the city guard is just another arm of the templars?"

Aveline folded her arms. "That is completely unfair."

"If they show up here, I'll know who to blame. That's all I'm saying."

Aveline glared at the man before stalking out, shooting Hawke a look as she did so. He just shrugged.

Anders gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see that. I just…" He sighed. "Can't be too careful. Now that the knight-commander has basically appointed herself viscount."

The guards had known Anders was a mage for years. No few of them came to him regularly for the injuries incurred by their duties, and he knew for a fact both Brennan and Maecon had lied to templars to protect the healer. "Between ruling the city and torturing mages, it's a wonder she has time to keep that sword so shiny."

"She has nearly crushed the flame of hope for mages here. The mage underground is all but destroyed. And those left have turned to blood magic as their only option. Which Meredith knows will prevent any chance of the public taking their side." Anders sat down heavily on a crate.

Hawke took the crate across from him. "You don't think that kind of proves her point?"

"The Blight was stopped only with the aid of mages, one an apostate." He shook his head. "One your cousin. But it makes no difference. The Chantry set us all on this path long ago. It would take something truly catastrophic to change people's thinking now."

"No one has come for you, right?"

"I'm a known friend of the Champion." Anders smiled. "And the last time the coterie came sniffing around they were chased out of Darktown by my patients.

A Qunari was waiting at his estate, he said that he was Taarbas and the he was looking for Qunari blades. Fortunately, Hawke found quite a few of them.

Taarbas took the bundle of swords and counted them. In gratitude he told him he would make a fine Ben-Hassrath and presented him with a Qunari style longsword.

He then went to take care of Gamlen's latest debt collector. Originally, he'd just been intending to pay the man off, but the idiot had started with the insinuations and threats. When one of those threats had involved slavers, well, according to Aveline it was technically a suicide. He paid a visit to the man himself.

Gamlen actually smiled. "So you've done well for yourself. I had my doubts the first time I saw you, but…" Gamlen shrugged. "I guess there was something to that Hawke fellow Leandra ran off with after all. He made a pretty good son, anyway. Your mother would be proud."

"I just wish Mother had lived to me become Champion," said Hawke.

"I know Leandra, and she'd be absolutely glowing from all the praise is that's been heaped on you. I don't say this often, but… We're the only family we've both got left. For a long time, I thought the Amell line in Kirkwall would end at me. I'm glad you've pulled it out of the grave."

He was about to leave when he noticed a letter on the table. He didn't actually mean to read the letter, it just caught his eye as he was taking a few coins from his purse to leave. Gamlen folded his arms defensively. "Leave that alone. There are things in my life that don't actually involve you, you know. Stay out of my business, boy."

The last time the man had automatically jumped to defensive over a document he hadn't wanted Hawke to read… "That note mentioned the Gem of Keroshek. What's that?"

"It's nothing. Never mind."

"If you're worried about who sent the note, I can go in your place," Hawke suggested.

"Did I ask for that? I know who sent it, and I want to. I lost everything chasing that gem…" Gamlen shook his head. "Our fortune, our home, even Mara."

"Who's Mara?"

"She's…" Gamlen's eyes narrowed. "None of your concern, that's who she is." Gamlen glared. "Why don't you head back to your fancy house in Hightown and stay out of my damned business?"

Despite his wishes, Hawke decided to find out who would send that note to Gamlen.

A large group of armed thugs standing around Darktown. This looked like the place. "Are you the ones who sent the note about the Gem of Keroshek?"

"We were beginning to think you wouldn't show. It's rude to keep people waiting, you know. It's not like I don't got things to do."

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else. I don't know you," said Hawke.

"You don't got to know me. You just got to listen. See, we was hired to give you a note. But this Gem of Keroshek thing the note talks about? We decided we want that instead. You better hand it over."

Hawke shook his head. "I was told to come here to get the gem. Why do you think I would have it?"

"You have it, or you can take us to who does. That's what I think. We aren't going anywhere without that gem." The man signalled his friends to attack.

A few moments later, Hawke was riffling through the dead man's pockets. He found another note, and read it aloud.

"Isn't there a mallet hanging on the wall in Gamlen's house?" Varric asked.

Gamlen glared. "What do you want now?"

"I found this node on a thug that attacked me. It mentions your wallet mallet."

"Huh." Gamlen actually smiled. "Haven't played wallop since I was a kid. Still got my mallet up on the wall, though. Last time I was any good at something."

Varric stared up at the alienage tree. "Well, we found the tree the wallop mallet's made from. Now what?"

An elf walked over. "Wallop mallet? You must be the one I'm supposed to give this note to." He handed Hawke a slip of paper.

"Did someone ask you to give this to me?" Hawke asked taking the note.

The elf shrugged. "I was given a few coins to hand this over to whoever came asking about wallop mallets. Unfortunately, the person was hooded, and it was dark. I didn't get a good look. Obviously a human though. No mistaking that. Even hooded, you all look alike."

Hawke tossed him a silver, and then read the note to his companions.

"Oh! To warehouse next! It's like a treasure hunt!" said Merrill.

"Looks like we found the crates," said Aveline.

Hawke narrowed his eyes. "Something seems off…" His eyes widened. "It's a trap."

The mercenaries that attacked clearly had no idea what they were in for. As soon as he and Merrill started slinging spells, four of the mercenaries fled by jumping into the water and swimming for it.

He searched the body of their apparent leader, and found another note. Again, he read it aloud. Varric ran a hand over his face and shook his head. "I'm surprised they sent so many men just to capture someone like Gamlen."

Hawke shook his head. "It's time to end this charade."

"I should be getting back to the clinic," Anders said as he left. "Let me know how it turns out?"

A young woman was waiting in the cavern. Hawke blinked. For a moment, he thought it was Bethany standing there. The woman gave him a disappointed headshake. "So Gamlen couldn't even be bothered to come himself?" She sighed. "I should have expected he'd send you, Cousin."

Merrill stared at Hawke. "You never told me you had a cousin!"

"I have a cousin?" Hawke stared. Well, he knew he had a cousin, but he knew he was definitely not a she.

"Gamlen never told you? I…" She shook her head. "Of course he didn't. Why would he?"

He was about to ask more questions when armed men showed up. "Sorry to interrupt this touching family reunion, but we have unfinished business here."

"Veld?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Mekel is dead. That bastard killed him." Veld pointed at Hawke.

"I don't know who you are, but we can talk about this."

"Talk about this?" he glared. "Like you talk to my brother before you cut him down?"

"That doesn't make sense." His new alleged cousin raised an eyebrow. "Mekel was just supposed to hand over the note."

"You really think we didn't read it? We know about the gem, Charade. Hand it over. I won't let Mekel's death be for nothing."

Charade pointed at Hawke. "You let your brother go up against someone like Hawke for a stupid gem?" She shook her head. "You know what: I did find the gem, but you're not getting your pathetic little hands on it, Veld."

"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." Veld signalled his men.

They drew weapons on his new cousin. At once he moved to defend his cousin, he was still wiping his head around that and eventually they put down the attackers.

Charade smiled. "You're pretty useful in a fight. You don't take after Gamlen at all."

"Gamlen never told me he had a daughter," Hawke frowned.

"There's probably a lot of things he hasn't told you." She sighed. "My mother, Mara…" She gestured. "She left Gamlen before I was born. He was so fixated on finding that stupid gem, I doubt he even noticed she was gone. She told me about Gamlen before she died last year. I didn't even know about him."

So this was her way of trying to get to know her father. "You set this whole thing up just so you can eat your father?" She really did look like Bethany. Lighter hair, certainly, but worn similarly.

"I just wanted to see—I don't know—how far he'd go for something he really wanted. And then he doesn't even show up. I baited him with the one thing I thought would get his attention."

"He's got some good qualities," said Hawke. "You might be surprised."

"Really?" Charade looked hopeful. "What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should go talk to Gamlen. Does he even know about you?"

"I…" She examined her hands. "I'm not sure."

"I wouldn't throw away the chance if I were you," said Aveline.

"Maybe give him a chance before you write him off," Hawke advised.

"I think I will." She smiled at him. "Having a cousin turned out to be a good thing. Maybe having a father will, too."

"Come on. We'll take you to him."

"You got to realise this is kind of new to me." Gamlen kept fidgeting, picking things up off the table and fiddling with them before putting them back down. "I didn't know Mara had a baby. If I did, I would have—I don't know—gone after her or something."

Charade smiled. "She used to say I was so much like you, and I didn't even know who you were." She did some fidgeting of her own. "I guess I wanted to see for myself. I need some time to think about all this, but…" She gave him a hopeful look. "If it's all right, I'd like to come back and talk more."

A genuine smile came to Gamlen's face. "I think I'd like that." As she started to walk away, he nearly tripped over a chair coming to open the door for her. "Uh… keep… uh… safe?" He stood there for a few moments.

"Looks like you two had a good talk," said Hawke.

Gamlen actually jumped at the sound of Hawke's voice. "It was bloody awkward, that's what."

"I was worried she wouldn't come find you. I think you needed each other."

"You know, I may not say this very often, but I'm glad you're one of the family. But seriously, next time? Stay out of my damned business, boy."

Hawke knew that was the closest thing to thank you he was going to get and left.

Cassandra sighed. "And the Champion has another cousin. Does Daylen know?"

"Probably not," said Leliana. "There has been no trace of him for years, it's like he's disappeared of the face of Thedas. Even Theron was unable to tracking down."