Disclaimer: I do not own Bioware or Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Varric looked up when he saw Wanda enter as she approached him. "Wanda, I've got some news. You might not want to be near anything breakable when I tell you, though."

"Is something wrong?" Wanda asked.

"I've already written to Marian but I assume you haven't heard yet or she haven't had the chance to tell you." Varric said as they sat down, while Varric poured himself some ale and took a sip. "I've had an ear out for Bartrand. After the Deep Roads, he ran to Rivain, probably because he knew I couldn't track him. But I hear he might be back in Kirkwall. He called in loans from a few of his contacts in Hightown."

"Are you sure? Why would he risk coming back here?" Wanda asked.

"I think we both know by now that Bartrand would risk anything for money." Varric said. "There's a much better market here for that trinket he stole. And all his contacts are in Kirkwall."

"Is he just passing through or staying in Hightown?" Wanda questioned.

"If my information is good—and it's always good—he has a house there. Which gives us a good shot at having a word with my dear, sweet brother." Varric said.

"Are you OK, Varric?" Wanda asked. She could tell Varric was more than happy to have some words with his brother after how Bartrand had left them to die in the Deep Roads and stole the idol but she wanted to make sure that Varric would not do something he might regret later.

"Me? My no-account, backstabbing brother is practically in arm's reach. I couldn't be better." Varric said casually, although Wanda was not fully convinced.

"I think we need to have a little chat with your brother." Wanda said.

"I agree! Bianca's been missing him something awful. Let's stop by his new house. Welcome him back to the neighborhood, and all that." Varric said, enthusiastic.

Sebastian joined them as they waited for sundown. No use attacking Bartrand's manor in broad daylight, after all. The prince actually looked eager. "It's been very exciting working with Marian."

Varric just stared. "Are you for real?"

"It seems like she and Wanda are involved every time there's a crisis in Kirkwall." Sebastian noted and they had to admit he had a point. Some days it felt like the city would have fallen apart if the Blight had not driven the Hawkes here or if Wanda had not accidentally ended up in Thedas. Sebastian smiled cheerfully. "I've never had so many opportunities to help people."

"All right. I thought I was getting tired of moody." Marian raised an eyebrow. "I take it back." He turned his gaze back to Sebastian. "You're making my teeth ache."

Isabela appeared around the corner and when she laid eyes on Sebastian, she smiled seductively. Sebastian just shook his head. "Is this getting you any closer to your ship?"

"Huh?" Isabela blinked.

"I just… don't understand why you're working with Marian. You don't seem to care about anything we do." He tilted his head at her. "What's keeping you here?"

Marian just turned around and turned ahead giving him a sly smile in a flirting manner. "Mostly the Blooming Rose. I'm paid up through the end of the year. I'd hate not to use it."

"The… brothel?" Sebastian said hesitantly.

"What? Women can't go to brothels, too? You're just not using your imagination." She elbowed Marian. "Oh, look! Now she is." She grinned at Sebastian. "You're cute when you're blushing."

Soon enough, they arrived to Bartrand's mansion. The door was closed shut however and dusty and there were even cobwebs forming in the upper corner of the door.

"This house looks abandoned." Marian said, frowning.

"I don't get it. My sources saw people making deliveries here just a week ago." Varric said, puzzled. "This… looks like it's been empty for months."

"Still, it's the only lead we've got. Even if your brother might not be in there, we might find something that will lead us straight to him." Wanda noted.

Varric nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

Varric kicked open the door, yelled for his brother, and started shooting enemies left and right, swiftly shooting them down. Within few moments, Varric shot every single guard that his brother had posted until facing Bartrand, who was on his knees, begging for mercy.

"Oh, Varric! Please, forgive me, my brother. I was just jealous of you." Bartrand said, his voice breaking as he raised his hands in surrender. "How could I ever compete with you for Mother's love? You're strong and handsome and so very smart…"

Present

Cassandra cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes, mentally burning holes into Varric's forehead with her glare as Varric stopped narrating, looking puzzled.

"What?" Varric asked.

"Why lie now about this? What have you to gain?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes, knowing that Varric was embellishing his story now to make himself seem more capable than he seemed to be.

"What do you want from me? I broke in, I found my brother, and it was awkward. Family business." Varric chuckled, amused.

"No. I think there's more to it." Cassandra shook her head and glared, in no mood for games.

"Fine." Varric sighed. "You want the gory details, I'll give you the gory details."

Six years ago

The rooms were filled with corpses scattered around. The guards literally ran to the blades of Aveline, Isabela and Fenris, mindlessly attacking them. Wanda knocked them back, while Anders created a wall of fire to stop them but the guards ran through it, only to be burned to death.

"Bartrand… what have you done?" Varric whispered, horrified. He had known some of those men. Some of them had served the house for a long time. As they kept searching the manor, they found more corpses. It looked like the guards had slaughtered the servants and each other as Wanda stared in horror at the bloodied floor and walls. They had come to get some answers from Bartrand. Now… now they were more worried about what had happened to him.

"Varric? Is that you? Praise the Ancestors." A voice called out.

They were ready to fight before Varric gestured for them to stop as a dwarf went out from one of the chambers. "Hold up—I know this man. He's Bartrand's steward." Varric neared the dwarf, looking worried. "Hugin? What happened here?"

"Varric, your brother…" Hugin took a breath, pale, unable to look at Varric. "That statue he brought out of the Deep Roads… Bartrand said it sang to him. Even after he sold it. I've been hiding in here, but the guards… they're like crazed animals. I didn't dare go past them. Everyone in this house has gone mad!"

"Something has driven them mad." Wanda repeated as Anders nodded in agreement. She had entered the minds of the guards… it was as if something had possessed them.

"You said he sold the statue? To who?" Marian asked.

"I don't know. It's why we came back to Kirkwall. He was already starting to rant about the sodding idol and its singing." Hugin said, terrified. "On his better days, he hated the thing, wanted to get rid of it. But the minute it was gone, he got worse."

"What happened to the other servants?" Wanda asked. Apparently, asides from the guard and Hugin and Bartrand, everyone else in the manor was dead.

"I don't know what Bartrand did to them. By the Ancestors, the sounds coming from his study…" Hugin whispered. "They're dead by now. I hope."

"What do you mean, you hope they're dead?" Varric demanded. They all were getting disturbed more and more by what they were hearing.

"Just… whoever… whatever you find in that room, Varric, give them a merciful death." Hugin said with a begging look in his eyes, making them worry even more.

"What did he do to the guard to turn them to this?" Marian wondered as they looked around the corpses.

"He's been forcing them to eat lyrium. Some of the servants, he…" Hugin swallowed. "…cut pieces off them while they were still alive. He says he's trying to help them hear the song. Please, stop him."

"Bartrand's not exactly a nice guy, but…" Varric looked very disturbed. "This doesn't sound like my brother."

"He's hearing things… Seeing things…" Hugin looked like as if he had glanced at the face of the Death itself. "Talking to someone who's not there. That's when he's feeling good. Bartrand took the servants and locked himself inside the study. No one's come out for days. And those sodding lunatics just keep prowling the halls."

"Then we go in after him. Come on. Let's finish this." Varric ordered as Hugin left.

Varric opened the door to Bartrand's bedroom. Bartrand roared and lunged at him, crazed look in his eyes before Wanda knocked him back and they all gasped at the sight of the dwarf, while Varric turned white as sheet at the sight of his brother. Half of Bartrand's beard had been cut off, he had cuts on his arms, three arrows sticking out of him.

"I can't… I can't… hear it anymore. I just need to hear the song again." Bartrand ranted, gesturing wildly. "Stop saying that. I know I shouldn't have sold the idol to that woman. It was a mistake. A mistake…"

Varric held up a hand to stop his friends from attacking before stepping forward, shaking his brother. "Bartrand, get ahold of yourself! Do you know where you are? Do you know what you've done?"

"Varric!" Bartrand smiled, actually happy to see him. "You'll help me, won't you, little brother? Help me find it again! You were always the good one…"

"Help you?" Varric just stared. "Bartrand, you left me to die! You left all your men to die! And for what? Some trinket?" No one could believe that Bartrand did not seem concerned by what he had done, even after three years, while all of them, Varric especially, were bitter about his betrayal as Varric gestured at the carnage in the manor. "Look at yourself! Look at what you've done to the men and women who served you. Where's your nobility, Brother? Where's your dwarven honor?"

Marian and Varric turned to Wanda, hoping her mental powers might help.

"I… I don't know if I can help him." Wanda said hesitantly. "I mean, I've never done something like this before."

They turned to Anders, who shook his head. "This doesn't feel natural. If he wasn't a dwarf, I'd think a demon did this. His mind has been… poisoned by something powerful." He did a gesture with his hands as they glowed blue before he casted his spell on Bartrand, who seemed to have awoken from his sleep. "That's all I can do. It won't last, I'm sorry." He gave Varric an apologetic look.

Varric turned to his brother as Bartrand's face seemed to regain reason, then was flooded with horror as he looked around at the blood. "Varric?"

"I'm here." Varric held Bartrand's shoulders. Now that he knew that his brother had not been in control of himself, Varric's anger was replaced with concern.

"Varric, what have I done?" Bartrand said, terrified of himself.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know." Varric said. He had a feeling he was better off not knowing.

"Make it stop, little brother. Don't let me…" Bartrand's voice broke as he seemed to be close to breaking down in tears. "Don't let House Tethras fall like this. I know… I don't deserve it. But please, Varric… don't leave me like this. Make it stop."

"Enough with the speeches. I'll get you to a healer, and you'll be fine." Varric said. "Sit tight, Brother. Help is on the way."

An hour later, Aveline had called in guards to take Bartrand into a Chantry sanitarium to have him committed. They were not sure if they could help him… but it was better than having to put him out of his misery or leaving him alone in his madness. Varric stared at the guards taking Bartrand in chains as he soon enough again lost his sanity and started muttering something about the idol and singing again.

"Did you need something, Varric?" Marian asked.

"A stiff drink, maybe. I feel like I've been kicked by a horse." Varric said. "I almost wish Blondie hadn't wiggled his fingers and cleared Bartrand's head. I liked it better when I just wanted to kill the bastard."

"If I ever had doubts about who was the better brother, they're long gone. You did good." Marian said as they looked at Varric with smile of pride.

Varric smiled back. Compliments seemed to work better than pity. "Please, there was never any doubt. I'm the handsome, irresistible charming one." He sighed. "I'll… deal with Bartrand somehow. Maker, that'll be even more of a joy than it used to be. I still can't believe…" He sighed again. "…what he did in that house. It's one thing to walk away and leave us to die, but that?"

"It was that idol from the thaig. We shouldn't hold your brother responsible for leaving us to die." Wanda noted.

"Don't let him completely off the hook. He chose to steal the damned thing. He brought this on himself." Varric said. "Anyway, thank you. I'll keep looking into who bought that blighted statue. At the very least, they need to be warned about what happened."

He left as they all seemed concerned. If that idol was in someone else's hands… who know how long before it drives them mad and innocent get hurt. They needed to find it as soon as possible.

Present

"What the idol drove that man to do…" Leliana shook her head.

Cassandra nodded. "We should examine Bartrand, before we leave. See how much of the truth Varric is telling."

"Oh, I think he was telling the truth. Why would he lie about the fate of his brother? I'm concerned about this idol and I'm starting to wonder if it had something to do with this dilemma we're having."

"I suppose we're about to find out."

So, what do you guys think about it?

Please review and let me know if you are enjoying this so far and want for me to continue.