The Daughter of Tethras

Disclaimer: Don't own Dragon Age

A/N:

Chapter 19 (Hawke)

She was given the chance to explore Skyhold while checking up on all the companions. Even though some joined her side, she hadn't fully had the chance to talk to many besides Sera, and Bull on occasion. Aside from Cassandra, Sera was her closest friend due to being the closest in age.

Unsurprisingly Sera was already wanting to drag Bianca off and explore the area outside of Skyhold. It was an offer she'd have to take the girl up another time, but she was definitely interested.

As she ran around she felt like she was being watched, but it wasn't a bad feeling. It felt like someone was watching over her, and when she was able to look up to the battlements, she saw that it was Varric and someone else. Likely Thane.

Thane Hawke didn't look like the giant legend she expected him to be. He actually looked relatively calm from afar, and he had a sword that marked him as a warrior like her.

Wisdom peered down from his eyes, and his mouth was shrouded by the neatly trimmed brown goatee. His brown hair was brushed back like Cullen's, and his eyebrows were a little overgrown.

She was looking forward to meeting him, and for more reasons than just information on Corypheus. Before she could, however, she was caught off guard by their most recent addition to the party: Cole.

"You're fighting, but there's a lot of pain behind that blade you wield. I hope I could help." She flinched and spun around, smiling briefly at the tall blonde haired boy. He was a spirit possessing a body, according to Solas, and she knew he could sense the feelings and thoughts of those around him, but she made it clear that she didn't want him trying to do anything to her head.

He seemed innocent enough and looked to be roughly the same age as Sera and herself. Granted as a spirit, there was no true way to tell just how old he was, but the way he spoke came across as youthful.

"I'm okay Cole. Honestly."

"It took a lot of courage to talk to your father, you did a good thing." She looked up at Varric with a smile, shrugging as Cole continued. "Varric hides a lot of himself as well. He didn't know if you would stay. He's still afraid."

"Afraid?"

"Afraid to lose you again." She started to ask when he had ever 'lost' her, but knowing what the Cadash family said regarding her mother, she didn't need to question it. "Your father has always wanted you in his life."

She closed her hands and thanked him. "I appreciate what you're doing, Cole, but please-I really need to hear this from him." Cole flashed a smile and nodded to her.

"How can I help?"

"Well, you've got a good start by being here, I guess." She could always use a friend, especially since she was low on them. "What do you think, Cole? Do you think the people here…might treat me well? I mean, I don't want to be treated like an icon, I don't want to be treated like a leader or a hero but-"

"But as a friend. Be a friend and they might be a friend back."

Sera ran up behind them, calling their names and pointing to the exit of the castle. "Are you sure you don't want to go outside and look around yet?" She turned her head and laughed at the impatient elf. "I'm getting bored." Cole raised his eyebrows and bought his hand over his chin.

"She wants to talk to her dad's friend."

"Dad?" Sera looked up to the battlements and her mouth formed an 'o' shape. "Oh that's right! I forgot!" She smacked her head and started to cringe. "I'm so sorry Bianca, I forgot you told me about him."

"It's okay," Bianca replied, "I'll go outside with you later though." She smiled hopefully and raised herself on her toes for a second. "You and Cole? Maybe we can just hang out for a bit, the three of us?" Sera crossed her arms and shot a skeptical look at the strange spirit. Cole smiled sweetly and Sera rolled her eyes.

"Oh alright, he can come with. As long as he doesn't do anything weird."

"We could do something now while we wait for Bianca to talk to her father's friend."

"Now?"

"You said you were bored."

"Ugh, fine, let's go explore." Sera marched for the gate and Cole followed happily behind her. At the last moment she turned around and told Bianca to meet them there whenever she was ready.

Seeing as how she was being rushed, her next step was to visit with Varric and Thane. As she made her way up, she an excited bout of nervousness overtook her. Varric introduced her to Thane and looked at his friend for a moment with one final word before departing.

"I'll be watching, so try not to have too much fun telling stories about me, Thane…" Thane smirked and Bianca raised her eyebrows as she watched her father leave.

"So, you are Varric's daughter? He's talked about you in his letters." Her face turned a shade of red and she started to smile as Thane leaned over the edge of the wall. "I was surprised to hear about you actually, he didn't talk much about his family in Kirkwall. Besides, of course, your uncle."

"Uncle? You mean Bertrand?" Varric mentioned his brother once or twice, but it was only in a fleeting moment. "To be honest, I haven't had a lot of time or chances to really talk to him. I um, I never knew my father until now."

"Really?"

"No. I think my mother got rid of me when I was born."

Thane's brow furrowed and he grew quiet. "Oh…that must be why I hadn't heard of you." She leaned over the wall, peering down at the people below. "Varric has also been a very private person. I always had the sense there was something more to him, something he was keeping inside, now I understand."

"We only recently connected, so yeah."

"I can tell he's happier. I hope the two of you will be able to have a life together." Thane stood erect and folded his arms across his chest. "About Corypheus, I can also understand why he was so upset."

"How so?"

"We fought him-fought and killed him. He's my responsibility, but I can see why Varric's upset more than I would think he'd be. For Corypheus to come back to life and go after you…"

"I'm kind of getting used to the idea that people just don't want me around."

"Well, not Varric." Thane chuckled and his shoulders rose up. "I suspect he'll do everything in his power just to keep you around." She hoped so, even though she realized how difficult it was going to be for them.

Knowing now that there was a connection between Varric and Corypheus, she couldn't help but wonder if that meant Corypheus would pick up on it. "Thane, you don't think…what would happen if Corypheus realized I was Varric's daughter?" Thane's right eyebrow rose and he started to hum.

"Varric crippled Corypheus, giving me the opening to take that final blow. I imagine if he realized Varric had a child, he could potentially go after that child for a twisted sense of vengeance."

"Oh." The guy was already after her for the anchor, she didn't want him to go after her with greater force because she was Varric's daughter. It was unlikely Corypheus would ever find out, but at the same time, his discovery of that could potentially be unavoidable. "Should I be worried?"

"He's already after you, right?"

"Yes…"

"Then probably not." He looked up and to the left, tilting his head to the side with a contemplative hum. "Or, if he knew, it wouldn't change much." Thane scratched beneath his chin and shut his eyes. "Speaking of Corypheus…Perhaps it is time to tell you more about him, and about my friend in the wardens-Stroud."

"Do you think he can help?"

"The wardens have disappeared, he thinks because of Corypheus. When we found that monster, he was using the Wardens-controlling them through their minds."

"Oh. Tell me more…"

Their conversation was long and drawn out, but informative to say the least. She got to talk to him about some of Varric's other friends after they finished with Corypheus, and was half tempted to ask a bunch of questions about Varric-though she wanted to get to know him without third party influence.

According to Thane, he was still with Isabela, although they weren't together at the moment. Aveline was still guard captain, Merrill was seemingly in charge of the Kirkwall alienage and managed to get Fenris to start softening up-much to everybody's surprise. Everyone was doing well besides Anders of course, Thane had to execute Anders for the murderous act he committed.

"As for Varric…" Thane folded his arms back across his chest and smiled. "I can't tell you much about his background or anything since he's kept his private life to himself. I can't tell you much about his family or anything else, but you're his daughter, he'll likely talk to you about it…out of earshot of the merchant guild."

"Why?"

"He always talks about the wars within the merchant's guild. They're always spying on each other and trying to outdo one another. He's said before he would like to leave and get away from it all, but he's tied to it and can't leave. What ties him to it, I don't know, but he never seems to be happy about it."

"Maybe they'll leave him alone now that he's with the Inquisition?"

"Maybe…" Thane took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head. "I've said enough, perhaps more than enough." The man curled a smirk and glanced over his shoulder. "I promised him I wouldn't embarrass him with any stories, but he's told so many stories about me, I feel I'm entitled to share at least one on him."

She sat on the wall and crossed her arms, grinning eagerly at the man. "Please share!"

"Alright."

To Bianca's delight, Thane shared a story about a haunted mansion. It was a house that Bartrand owned. Varric had been insanely creeped out by the ghosts, despite trying play it off well. It wasn't until the minute a vase went flying at him that he scrambled for the door in a frenzied attempt to escape, but Aveline got in front of him and told him that if they were staying, he had to stay.

Towards the end of the story, Bianca thanked him for his time and remembered she needed to locate Cassandra. "I need to find my friend before she goes off on my father."

"Oh?"

"I don't know if it was to protect you or something, but Dad told Cassandra he couldn't find you."

"That's more my fault than his. I didn't want to be involved in political stuff anymore-even as Viscount of Kirkwall, I am just simply too tired to get involved in another political mess."

"I understand." She rubbed the back of her neck and looked over the courtyard. "I was kind of hesitant to accept role as leader of the Inquisition." Thane's brow furrowed and his mouth indented into his cheeks. "I think they can keep me safe, so…"

"Safe from what?"

"A lot of things out there. I mean, Corypheus isn't the only one after me. My ex, I'm sure my birth mother and adoptive parents have been after me since I ran off a couple years ago."

"Why would they be after you?"

"They knew I wanted to find my dad, and they weren't exactly thrilled about it." It was a big part of the reason she ran away in the first place, besides the initial abuse. She told them she wanted to find her father, argued that since they knew who he was and where he was that they should help her. They struck her down, told her she didn't belong with him and would never find the man.

When she ran and found the Carta, it was Dasher who said he would try and help her find her birth father. Unfortunately things just grew too busy and hectic for them, and that never came to pass.

"According to Amelia and Marcus, my birth mother told them I was never to see my father. I don't really know the story behind it, I don't know if it's true or what to believe."

"Well. Whatever the case may be, if I know Varric, I know this: He will protect you. As loyal and protective as his is of his friends, I imagine he'd be much more so in the way of his own child."

"That's good to know." She thanked him again and started off, saying that she would see him again in Crestwood-where Stroud was apparently waiting.

Eager to find her father, but wanting to first find Cassandra, she ran for the training area that Cassandra had been. She wasn't present, but the shouting she heard from behind a nearby door was gave her a start.

"No!" She ran for the door, entering just in time to see Varric dodging an overhead punch from Cassandra.

"You lied to me!" Cassandra screamed. "You knew where he was all along."

"You're damn right I did." Varric ducked again and Cassandra cursed him out. Bianca groaned, trying to think of how to handle this situation. She didn't want to put Cassandra off by insulting the fact that she was angry about being lied to, but she didn't want to upset her dad right after they were finally beginning to connect.

Varric ran behind a table, sneering at Cassandra. "You kidnapped me and interrogated me. What did you expect?" Cassandra growled and lunged forward. "I don't need more abuse from you."

Bianca shouted at the top of her lungs, demanding they stop. Cassandra glared at her, seemingly forgetting that this was her father.

Cassandra frowned at her and exhaled. "We needed a leader." Varric walked over to Bianca's side and Cassandra shook his head. "Hawke was our best hope. People respected him."

"The Inquisition has a leader now," Varric replied. "My daughter." Cassandra ran her hand over her forehead, her body sank a bit and she started to groan.

"Right. How easy to forget. It's just…Hawke could have been at the conclave. If anyone could have saved the most holy…"

There was a chance that Thane would have perished at the conclave as well, but none of that mattered now. What was important was knowing that the past could not be changed, if it could, there was so much she would love to go back and reverse.

"Cassandra, you can't change the past."

"He's-" Cassandra paused, her eyes moved between the two and she took a second deep breath. "Nevermind…" Bianca looked at Varric. Her eyebrows curled together and she watched him leave.

"Hawke has gone through enough," Varric stated quietly before walking out the door. Bianca crossed her arms and Cassandra sat down at the nearby table.

"I am sorry Bianca, I do not mean to insult your father in front of you, I am angry that he lied to me. He may have had his reasons, I just wish I knew what those are."

"Whatever the case is, all of us need to work together. Yes he's my dad, and I'll talk to him, but we can't be at each other's throats. Not right now…"

"You are right." It seemed to be good that she got in there before Cassandra and Varric killed each other, and she hoped this would be the last of the tension. "Did you find out what you needed about Corypheus?"

"Yes. Thane and Dad killed him." Cassandra raised an eyebrow and Bianca sat at the table. "Dad was the one that crippled him, leaving him open for Thane to take the final blow…so with that said-"

"Corypheus might go after your father too, then."

"And me, if he knew I was his daughter. So, you understand one reason I would like us not to be fighting?"

"Certainly." Cassandra pat Bianca's shoulder and smiled at her. "You have my word, I will try to be civil. You're a friend of mine, I would hope not to do anything to upset you."

"You too, Cassandra. Thanks…"

What are your thoughts? Meeting Hawke went well it seems, and the argument with Cassandra and Varric, yeah I had to end it a little bit differently. Cassandra, while impulsive, doesn't feel like someone who would insult somebody to their own child's face no matter how angry she is.