Part 8

They traveled to the Hinterlands on foot. It took them a couple of hours and during those hours Gordon told them everything about his adventures in Kirkwall. Scott would cut in every now and then when Gordon exaggerated things or outright lied. John couldn't keep back little snorts or scoffs every now and again. Casper and John walked next to each other and the pair would discuss magic, Casper's journeys in the Fade, memories he had seen, spirits and so on. John was very careful to not tell them things about himself. Scott took point when they appeared to close in on the area where their main camp would be. When they got there they all sighed in relief. It would feel nice to rest for a while and get something to eat. John noticed a dwarf woman standing near some of the tents. He remembered Scott saying something about the head scout being a dwarf. John approached her and the others joined him. When the dwarf woman saw him she smiled and met them.

"The Herald of Andraste!" She said in awe as she looked at the blonde mage who approached her. "I've heard the stories. Everyone has. We know what you did at the Breach. Everyone's a little nervous around mages right now, but you'll get no back talk here. That's a promise. Inquisition Scout Cass Harding, at your service. I — all of us here — we'll do whatever we can to help."

"Harding, huh?" Gordon asked with a smirk. "Ever been to Kirkwall's Hightown?"

"I can't say I have. Why?"

"You'd be Harding in…" Gordon began but the glare Scott sent him shut him up. "Oh, never mind." Scott made a disgusted noise.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance", John said, ignoring his brothers… no ignoring the rogue and the warrior behind him. They were not his brothers. He needed to stop thinking of them as such. "Though I'm starting to worry about these 'stories' that everyone's heard."

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about", Cass told him. "They only say you're the last great hope for Thedas."

"Oh. Wonderful." John replied dryly and Casper chuckled.

"The Hinterlands are as good a place as any to start fixing things. We came to secure horses from Redcliffe's old horse master. I grew up here, and people always said that Dennet's herd were the strongest and fastest this side of the Frostback Mountains. But with the mage-templar fighting getting worse, we couldn't get to Dennet. Maker only knows if he's even still alive. Mother Giselle's at the crossroads helping refugees and the wounded. Our latest reports say that the war's spread there too. Corporal Vale and our men are doing what they can to help protect the people, but they won't be able to hold out very long. You best get going. No time to lose."

Harding walked away to check in on some of her scouts and John and the others sat down to have a bite to eat before they left to find this Mother Giselle.

They walked down the hill and then they could hear screaming. John and Casper unclasped their staffs from their back straps. Scott pulled his sword and got his shield ready. Gordon readied his crossbow and together the little group rushed towards the screaming. When they rounded a small hill they saw their own soldiers fighting off attackers.

"Inquisition forces!" Scott called to the others. "They're trying to protect the refugees!"

"Looks like they could use a hand", Gordon called.

"My sentiments exactly", Casper said with a smirk, hit his staff onto the ground and held out his fist. A huge fist made of rock and dirt flew up and hit a warrior approaching a female refugee. John grinned and let loose a lightning bolt. Gordon jumped onto a rock and then jumped backwards off it, firing a swarm of arrows. Scott, in true warrior fashion, dove straight into the fray. He soon came face to face with a few warriors dressed in Templar armor.

"Hold!" Scott yelled and held up his hand. "We are not apostates!" One of the Templars tried to take his head off. Scott ducked and kicked the Templar's legs out from under him. The Templar went down with a crash and Scott finished him off. Looking up in time to see the other one getting turned into an ice statue. It shattered when one of Gordon's bolts hit it. Scott saw a hand held out to him and looked up at Casper. Scott gripped the hand and was pulled to his feet.

"I do not think they care, Seeker", Casper told him and then ducked as a Templar bowman aimed for his head. John finished the man off with a small fireball. When the last of the Templars fell the group sighed in relief. Only to hear more shouting. They turned in the other direction and saw a few mages with some hired mercenaries approaching.

"We are not Templars!" Casper called to one and ducked out of the way of a lightning bolt. "We mean you no harm!"

"Doesn't look like they're listening", Gordon remarked and ducked behind a rock as ice shard came flying at him. John cursed and focused his energy. He then let loose a huge lightning bolt that killed all of the mages. Scott rushed into the fray and made short work of the few sell swords. They all took a breath when the last one fell. Only to hear more shouting as new Templars approached. John did curse loudly this time.

"More coming our way!" Casper called and rushed to John's side. They nodded to each other and both let lightning fly out and strike the approaching Templars. Sending most of them dead to the ground. Armor and lightning did not mix well after all. Gordon finished of the last few and Scott sighed in relief.

"We are victorious once more", he said and John rolled his eyes at him. The walked into the small village and Casper hurried to aid a refugee sitting on the ground nearby. Scott, John and Gordon approached two of the Inquisition's soldiers standing guard. They saluted each other and then John and the others were directed towards a building at the top of a small staircase. John walked ahead of the other two. He then noticed both of them branching out to help where they could, leaving him to find Mother Giselle on his own. Not that he minded, Scott would most likely think him rude because John could not promise he would remain calm with a Chantry woman. He walked up the steps and saw her kneeling by an injured soldier. She did stand out quite a lot in her getup. The white and red robes with the huge hat was a dead give away after all. As John approached he overheard her words to the soldier.

"There are mages here who can heal your wounds", she said. "Lie still."

"Don't… let them touch me, Mother", the soldier groaned out in reply. "Their magic…"

"Turned to noble purpose, their magic is surely no more evil than your blade."

"But…"

"Hush, dear boy. Allow them to ease your suffering."

John walked closer and decided to interrupt before the soldier made an even bigger fool of himself.

"Mother Giselle?" John asked. She got up and turned.

"I am", she said and when John saw her face he froze. "And you must be the one they're calling the Herald of Andraste." It could not be… but he would have recognized her anywhere. She looked much older than she had when he last saw her. How could she be a Mother? She had been married and she had both a son and grandchildren! People who join the Chantry are supposed to cast off all romantic feelings towards anyone! John thought it was forbidden, but here she was… his grandmother stood before him. She was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to reply to whatever she had said. John scrambled for something to say. Right she had called him Herald!

"Not through any choice of mine", he told her.

"We seldom have much say in our fate, I'm sad to say", she said and John could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm told you asked for me", John continued. Then he looked at the soldier being healed. "You're not against magic? What you said to that soldier…"

"We do not teach that magic is evil. We teach that pride is evil — and does not corrupt only mages."

"Is that why you asked for me? The Chantry has already-"

"I know what they've done", she cut in gently.

"Then why am I here?"

She smiled and motioned for him to follow her. They walked through the crossroads, passing many injured people, people in need of food and water… of people fleeing in terror.

"I know of the Chantry's denouncement, and I'm familiar with those behind it", Mother Giselle, she had even faked her name, said. "I won't lie to you: some of them are grandstanding, hoping to increase their chances of becoming the new Divine. Some are simply terrified. So many good people, senselessly taken from us…"

"What happened was horrible", John replied. He had wanted to snap at her about the Chantry making things worse again… but he could not be rude to his grandmother. She had left them after her husband died, wanting to get some peace to grieve. She was supposed to have returned the same evening John had been taken. He never saw her again… until now and he loved her still. He had tried writing to her, but he suspected the letters never made it to her. Yet… now… here she was, right in front of him.

"Fear makes us desperate", she soothed gently. "But hopefully not beyond reason."

"But don't you stand with the rest of the Chantry?" John asked curiously.

"With no Divine, we are each left to our own conscience, and mine tells me this." She smiled and took his hands. "Go to them. Convince the remaining Clerics you are no demon to be feared. They have heard only frightening tales of you. Give them something else to believe."

"That won't just make it worse?" John asked, without meeting her gaze. She had always been able to see straight through him.

"Because you are a mage?" she asked.

"That too. They want to execute me", John pulled his hands loose. "And you think I should just walk up to them?"

"You are no longer alone", the way she said it made John gasp for air. "They cannot imprison or attack you."

"They could try."

"Let me put it this way: you needn't convince them all. You just need some of them to doubt. Their power is their unified voice. Take that from them, and you receive the time you need."

"So I show up, say hello, show them the mark on my hand…?"

"I honestly don't know if you've been touched by fate or sent to help us… but I hope. Hope is what we need now. The people will listen to your rallying call, as they will listen to no other. You could build the Inquisition into a force that will deliver us… or destroy us. I will go to Haven and provide Sister Tanusha the names of those in the Chantry that would be amenable to a gathering. It is not much, but I will do whatever I can." With that she started walking away, but stopped. "Oh and Johnny…" John felt how he grew completely stiff, as if someone had turned him into an ice-statue. "I am so happy to see you alive and well." With that she left. John had to grab on to a nearby pole for support. His breaths came at a quick pace and the whole world felt as if it had started to spin. She knew? How could she know?! Scott and Gordon didn't know and he and Scott had spent nearly all their waking time together before John got taken! How could she recognize him when his brothers couldn't!? He felt a hand on his back and turned his head to meet Casper's worried gaze.

John swallowed and stood straight, trying to collect himself. He trembled all over and felt as if everything was crashing down around him. Scott and Gordon approached them, neither noticing John's upset state luckily. John took a few calming breaths and then they started to track towards their soldiers. One of the corporals were trying to get their attention.

"Explain to me why we had to do everything for everyone!" John spat as they were riding back towards Haven. To get the horse master to agree to come with them and help them with looking after the horses he had agreed to supply them with John and the others had spent a few days running around the Hinterlands performing various tasks. Most of them were gathering materials they needed for their camps and soldiers, some just made John feel as if people were just plain lazy or cowardly. They had found a ring taken from a widow, they had marked areas for guard towers and had helped gathering caches with supplies for the refugees. They had even managed to kill the leaders of the local battling rebel factions of Templars and mages. Maker they had even helped hunting for meet! The village had hunters, but they had been too afraid to go out in the nearby woods to hunt! John had felt rather… annoyed by the fact that everyone seemed to be so helpless around here. Were people just using them? After all… to get the horses they had been more or less forced to help with the guard towers, kill a few bears, get rid of a demon possessing wolves and race horses for the horse master's daughter. I mean come on! That last one was just ridiculous!

"We are trying to make people trust us and see that we wish to do only good", Scott replied calmly.

"Then why was I the one forced to race these bloody horses?" John asked. "You could have done it! You are way more used to riding than I am!"

"True but you have more natural talent."

"That is just your excuse for being lazy!"

"Whatever makes you happy Herald."

"Stop. Calling. Me. That."

Casper chuckled somewhere behind them and John sent him a glare. Gordon just laughed at the whole thing. He seemed to think that a grumpy John was the funniest thing in the world. John only growled in annoyance and urged the horse forward. Gordon chuckled and urged his own horse forward so that he was riding right next to John. John cast him a vary look but the other man just grinned at him. They rode on for about half an hour and no one said anything. It felt awkward so John decided to at least fill the awkwardness with some talking.

"I read you Tales of the Champion", he told Gordon. "And I have a few questions."

"That's a pretty common reaction", Gordon replied with a grin. "Go ahead."

"What happened to the mage that destroyed the Kirkwall Chantry? The book never said."

"He fled Kirkwall with the mages from the Circle", Gordon growled. "Stayed with them awhile. But he had to move on, a lot of mages blamed him for making them live as fugitives. I don't know where he is now, and I don't want to know." John got the feeling Gordon did not like the man that much. John had never met the man, but he was sure he would kind of agree with Gordon. He agreed with the man's wish to make all mages free and stop the suppressing of them, mostly from Templars. However, destroying the Chantry like that and getting everyone inside it killed was wrong… the mage and Templar battles that tore through Kirkwall right after did not make things any better. Too many innocent lives were lost that night… If John ever came upon this mage… he'd open a Fade rift and trap the bastard in the Fade… or just find a very steep cliff to push him down from.

"In your book you say that First Enchanter Umberto Sandalio turned himself into a giant monster made of corpses", John continued, that was the part that had confused him a lot. "Why?"

"Do I look like an expert on magical weirdness to you? All I can say is he was desperate. Any more questions?"

"There is no way that the Champion could have killed the Arishok", John then said and heard Scott scoff behind him. "It would have started a war with the Qunari."

"I was told later that the Qunary disavowed his actions. Apparently, the Arishok didn't get permission before he attacked Kirkwall, and the Qun didn't want another Exalted March. When they finally sent a ship to haul the wrecked Dreadnought away, they just said: 'We will never speak of this again'. As far as I can tell, that's the Qun's version of on apology."

"Where are the rest of Marion Hawke's associates now?" John asked curiously.

"Merrill decided to look after the elves left homeless by the fighting", Gordon replied. "She's done a pretty good job of keeping them away from the Templars and the mages… so far. I guess she had plenty of practice avoiding stupid human battles with her old Dalish clan. Fenris has kept himself busy, hunting down Tevinter slavers who came south to prey on the refugees. I'm not sure exactly where he is at the moment. You can usually follow the trail of corpses though. Isabella went back to the Raiders. She's calling herself an admiral now. I don't know if she's actually in charge or just has a really big hat. Might be the same thing, honestly. Sebastian is back in Starkhaven. I'm sure he's boring all sorts of people there. Marion's little brother was off on some Warden Business near the Anderfels border last I knew. Aveline is still Guard-Captain. I'm pretty sure Kirkwall would fall into the sea if she quit her job."

"I see", John replied and they rode a bit further in silence. There was something else that John wanted to know though. He knew Gordon had been sent away to live with the Tethras family… according to Scott their father had sent him there because he could not stand seeing any of the boys after their mother had died. John wondered how much Gordon knew… knew about him. John decided to play nice with him as well, to see what he could learn.

"Can I ask you something, Gordon?" he asked and Gordon grinned.

"You want to talk about me?" he asked. "I'm flattered. Also, inclined toward extravagant lies."

"You are from Nevarra right?"

"Born and raised for a few years in Nevarra, then shipped off to Kirkwall. And despite whatever you've heard, no. Kirkwall's not that bad."

"I see…", he knew Gordon would be a bit harder to get information out of than Scott. Gordon was way sneakier. "Where did you get that crossbow? I've never seen one like it."

"Four? She's one of a kind. There's a hidden shop in Kirkwall called the Black Emporium. I found her in a barrel labeled 'swag.' The owner sold her to me for a ham sandwich and a pair of yellow ruffled pants."

John gave him a look, knowing he was lying. But Gordon refused to meet his gaze. John shrugged and turned to look ahead again. But since his curiosity was not fully satisfied yet…

"Why is she named Four?" he asked.

"I can't tell you."

"And the reason for that is…"

"Complicated. It's the one story I'll never tell. We'll just have to leave it at that."

John shrugged again and then looked back at Scott who did the same.

"If you and Scott are brothers, why did you not stay in touch after your father sent you all on your ways?"

"Scott told you about that huh?"

"He said and I quote: 'father could not stand even looking at us'."

"Well it's true. Truth is I was so young I could only remember Scott, Virgil and Alan like little fragments."

"Alan?" John asked in shock.

"What?"

"Uh I mean who's Alan? Scott mentioned someone named Virgil but not Alan."

"Alan's my younger brother. He was born a couple of years after me. He was later brought to Denerim with our old nanny and that's the last I heard of him. Truth is it hurt too much to even try and write to my brothers because I knew that there would be no way for them to come and get me. Scott would be stuck in the Seekers and I had no clue where Virgil went… I know dad gave him to a mercenary group… I don't even know if he's alive. Alan and I were close and we stayed in touch for a while… then he stopped answering my letters…" Gordon looked a little sad. John felt sick. He had another brother? One he didn't even know about?! Was that who Scott referred to when he said he did not want to speak about the three of them? It must be… which meant… Scott no longer counted him, John, as his brother. John gripped the reins tightly but collected himself. Gordon sighed and kept talking.

"You heard about the Kirkwall Chantry being destroyed obviously", he said. "The guy responsible used to be a friend of mine. The Seeker had questions about that, and I had answers."

"So Scott came and found you?" John asked tensely.

"Yes."

John felt that he was about to snap so he decided to change the subject rather quick.

"I'm not clear on your line of work", he said. "You're a merchant?"

"I'm a businessman. My family has a seat in the Dwarven Merchants Guild. Merchants buy and sell goods. Businessmen buy and sell stores. In my spare time, I manage a spy network. And occasionally, I write books."

"If you've run a spy network, why is Kayo our spymaster?"

"To be honest with you, she's just a better spymaster. The truly great ones can keep their distance. They don't get attached to their people. Me, I always wind up babysitting my informants and worrying about their families. We're in better hands with her."

"What sort of shops do you own then?"

"Actually, we don't own shops. That was just an example. Mostly, we invest in money lenders. Auction houses, a few mercenary companies, a couple of smithies. I think we own half a beet plantation in Rivain somewhere. Most of that's my brother's doing. Bartrand had business sense. Not much tact, but loads of business sense."

"Other than the Champion, what kind of books have you written?"

"I've tried my hand at a few genres. My crime serials are my most popular. Hard in Hightown. Guards breaking the rules to get things done. The Tale of Champion is the most famous thing I've written. Or infamous, maybe. I started a romance serial once. Swords and Shields. But to be honest, I don't have a knack for romances. Most of my stories end in tragedy. Probably that says something unfortunate about me personaly."

John scoffed at that and Gordon grinned.

"See there is a human inside that icy Herald facade you got going on", he teased and John glared at him. "Now, now take it easy or you eyes might burn me to a crisp."

"That's not how it works!" John and Casper objected at the same time. Gordon's laughter rang out around them and John found… that he did not mind Gordon's laughter. Even though the younger man was not being fully honest with him. From what he had learned from his brothers he now knew that sometime after he was taken to the Circle his mother gave birth to another son, who he named Alan. When he was just a few years old their mother tried to overturn the ruling king, but the coup failed and she got executed for it. His father and brothers had been spared because they had not taken part in the rebellion. Not long after Jeff decided he could not stand the sight of his boys, because they reminded him too much of the wife he had lost. He sent the boys all over the place. Scott had been sent to the Seekers, Virgil had been sent to join a mercenary band led by a Qunari, Gordon had been sent to Kirkwall and Alan had been sent to Denerim. It appeared as if the boys had tried to keep in touch… but then they all managed to get out of touch. Now three of them had been reunited, albeit only one of them knew. Not only that but their grandmother was travelling along with them as well.

Scott and Gordon had been happy to be reunited with her and she had hugged both of them and they had spent many hours talking together. She had not approached John, he figured she did it to keep his secret. She had always been intelligent and had probably figured out John had kept his identity a secret. He sighed and looked up when Casper nudged his elbow and nodded to the distance. Haven. John sighed and urged the horse forward a bit faster. At least it would be nice getting off the horse for a while.

TBC