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Inside the clinic, Anders was arguing with a very annoyed Aveline. "I don't know the city guard is just another arm of the templars?"
"That is completely unfair." Aveline glared, crossing her arms.
"If they show up here, I'll know who to blame. That's all I'm saying."
Aveline's glare at the mage healer intensified before she walked off as Marian entered, looking immediately concerned by what she had just seen."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see that. I just…" Anders sighed. "Can't be too careful. Now that the knight-commander has basically appointed herself viscount."
"I'm surprised the templars haven't taken you in." Wanda said upon entering.
"Probably for the same reason they haven't taken you or Strange in." Marian said as Wanda nodded. 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." Anders said, referring to Meredith. "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." He sat down on a box.
"You don't think that kind of proves her point?" Marian countered.
"The Blight was stopped only with the aid of mages, one an apostate." Anders said. "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."
"They haven't come to take you in yet?" Wanda asked.
"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."
After helping a Qunari Taarbas collect a bundle of Qunari blades and receiving gold and a Qunari longsword as a payment of gratitude, Marian went to take care of Gamlen's latest debt collector. Usually, all that was needed, was to pay them off, but the man had started with the insinuations and threats. When one of those threats had involved slavers, well, according to Aveline it was technically a suicide. She paid a visit to the man herself.
Gamlen actually smiled as Marian entered his house. "So you've done well for yourself. I had my doubts the first time I saw you, but…" He 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. And I wasn't sure about Wanda but… she's a good girl. In another life, she'd be a great sister to you. Don't tell her I said that." He said quickly as Marian chuckled.
"I just wish Mother had lived to me become Champion." Marian said.
"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." Gamlen said sadly as Marian nodded. With Bethany being in the Gallows and Carver gone with the Grey Wardens, they had only each other in Kirkwall, considering they had the chance to see each other more often. "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."
Marian was about to leave when she noticed a letter on the table. She didn't actually mean to read the letter, it just caught her eye as she was taking a few coins from her 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, girl."
The last time the man had automatically jumped to defensive over a document he hadn't wanted Marian 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." Marian offered.
"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?" Marian asked.
"She's…" Gamlen stopped himself before he would say more. "None of your concern, that's who she is!" He snapped. "Why don't you head back to your fancy house in Hightown and stay out of my damned business?"
Marian narrowed her eyes. It was unusual for her uncle to be so agitated. What was it about this Mara and this gem? She left, wanting to get to the bottom of this.
"And here I thought we're done cleaning up your uncle's mess." Wanda said.
"So did I. But apparently, we were both wrong." Marian said as they entered Darktown and saw a group of armed thugs. 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." The thug said.
"I think you have me mistaken for someone else. I don't know you." Marian said.
"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." The thug said, reaching for his weapon.
"Look, I think there's a misunderstanding, we've been told to come here to get the gem. We don't have it." Steve said.
"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 signaled his friends to attack.
Marian reached for her blades and blocked before kicking him back, while Isabela slit another thug's throat and Varric and Clint shot another three. In a few moments, they were all dead as Marian checked their pockets.
A few moments later, Marian was riffling through the dead man's pockets as she read the note. And surprisingly, it mentioned…
"Doesn't your uncle have a mallet hanging on the wall?" Wanda asked.
Gamlen sighed as Marian returned. "What do you want now?"
"I found this note on a thug that attacked me. It mentions your wallop mallet." Marian said, handing him the note.
"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."
Marian took a closer look at the mallet as she recognized the wood.
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 Marian a slip of paper.
"Did someone ask you to give this to me?" Marian asked, picking 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."
Marian tossed him a silver, and then read the note to her companions.
"A warehouse? I don't like being led around. Unless leashes are involved. And they're not." Isabela muttered as they refrained themselves from reacting again.
They entered the warehouse in the docks, checking the crates. "Looks like we found the crates." Aveline said.
"Something's wrong." Steve said before they sensed something.
"It's a trap!" Marian exclaimed as mercenaries ambushed them.
Steve blocked with his shield and knocked the mercenaries back as Sam, Bucky, Clint and Varric started shooting. As soon as Anders and Merrill started throwing spells, the remaining mercenaries actually jumped into the water, swimming out of the danger.
Marian searched the body of their apparent leader, and found another note. Again, she 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."
"It's time to end this charade." Marian said.
"I should be getting back to the clinic. Let me know how it turns out." Anders said as he left.
A young woman was waiting in the cavern. Marian and Wanda blinked. For a moment, they thought it was Bethany standing there. The woman gave Marian a disappointed headshake. "So Gamlen couldn't even be bothered to come himself?" She sighed. "I should have expected he'd send you, Cousin."
"You've never told me you had a cousin." Wanda looked at Marian in confusion.
"I have a cousin?" Marian said, clearly confused. Well, as far as she, Carver and Bethany knew, they did have a cousin, but they had believed it was… he. Apparently, there was one more in the family that they had no idea about.
"Gamlen never told you? I…" The woman shook her head. "Of course he didn't. Why would he?"
More armed men showed up before they could ask more questions. "Sorry to interrupt this touching family reunion, but we have unfinished business here."
"Veld? What are you doing here?" The woman asked.
"Mekel is dead. That bitch killed him." Veld pointed at Marian.
"I don't know who you are, but we can talk about this." Marian said calmly.
"Talk about this? Like you talk to my brother before you cut him down?" Veld growled.
"That doesn't make sense." Marian's 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." Veld demanded.
Charade pointed at Marian. "You let your brother go up against someone like Marian 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."
"Uh-oh." Steve said, already knowing what was going to happen next as the Avengers prepared to fight.
"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." Veld signaled his men. Steve bashed him with his shield, knocking them out as Sam flew in, kicking down two more. Aveline and Isabela rushed forward, as Aveline dodged and cut one of the thugs in the leg before slicing another one in the chest. Isabela grabbed two thugs and knocked them down as Anders knocked them back, while Marian furiously fended off the men engaging her cousin, as Charade smiled.
"You're pretty useful in a fight. You don't take after Gamlen at all." Charade said.
"Gamlen never told me he had a daughter." Marian said, still trying to process this.
Charade nodded. "There's probably a lot of things he hasn't told you. My mother, Mara…" She sighed. "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 you telling Veld that you had the gem, was that a lie?" Clint asked.
"Not at all. I managed to pull off what Gamlen couldn't." Charade smiled.
"You set this whole thing up just so you could meet your father?" Marian asked as she and Wanda eyed Charade. 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." Charade said, surprised.
"He's got some good qualities. You might be surprised." Marian said.
"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."
"Look, even if you and your father might not see eye-to-eye, the least you can do is try." Steve advised.
"I wouldn't throw away the chance if I were you." Aveline agreed.
"Maybe give him a chance before you write him off." Marian suggested.
"I think I will." Charade smiled. "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 realize this is kind of new to me." Gamlen was clearly shocked, to say the least as he faced his daughter. "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." The way they both spoke, the body language, clearly like father like daughter. "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." Charade nodded and 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." Marian said.
"It was bloody awkward, that's what." Gamlen said nervously.
"I was worried she wouldn't come find you. I think you needed each other." Marian smiled.
"You know, I may not say this very often, but I'm glad you're one of the family." Gamlen genuinely smiled before glaring. "But seriously, next time? Stay out of my damned business, girl."
Marian chuckled. That was the closest thing to "thank you" her uncle would ever give her.
Present
Cassandra sighed. "And the Champion has another cousin. Does Daylen know?"
"Probably not." Leliana said. "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."
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.
