Chapter Eight: A Private Conversation
Varric turned to me the moment we shut the door. "You really sure you're alright with this? I can take the blankets and go bunk on the floor with the others."
"Yeah, Bianca makes you off-limits, right?"
He tosses a confused glance at his crossbow for a moment before realization dawns on his face. "Andraste's ass, I knew you saw that letter. How much of it did you read?"
I wince at the curse. Sorry Lucis, going to let that one slide. "Just the name, but I knew it was the name of your crossbow, and then you said you had an interest in someone, but that things were complicated, and I put two and two together."
"Right," he mutters.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything to the others, but I'm sure some of them have drawn the same conclusion on their own. Still, if you ever need to talk about things, I can keep a secret. You've been there for me enough that it would be nice to repay the favor."
"I appreciate it, but no. If you want to repay me, do it by not dying tomorrow with the dragon."
"Alright, Varric, we can change the subject, just one last thing: for what it's worth, she's a lucky woman, your Bianca."
He smiles, but I can't tell what it means, otherwise.
"And for the last time I'm not going to die," I add, shaking my head.
We turn in for the night, and I wait for a while until I hear his breathing even out, and I know he's asleep. I saw a place on the way in that I think will be good for what I need. I slide out of bed and grab my boots, but don't bother to put them on in the room, as it will make too much noise. I open the door, taking one last look at Varric's form, but his posture and breathing haven't changed. Still asleep, then. I slip out the door and into the night.
The corridor outside is deserted. I head down the passage for a while, then stop and pull on my boots. I don't much care if the other residents of Caer Bronach see me, so I'm not exactly stealthing, but I don't want to run into any of my traveling companions. They'll ask too many questions. I remembered seeing a door behind one of the booths. It looked little used, and hopefully will offer the privacy I'm looking for. Yes, there it is!
I duck quickly behind the booths and try the door. Not locked. It opens quietly, which surprises me given the state of disrepair this place is in. I light a torch before closing the door behind me. This appears to be a wine cellar. It's perfect. I head to the back and kneel down behind the last row of barrels. I pull off my pendant and hold it in front of me with one hand. I open the locket and call on the magic of the Well. A wavering blue glow permeates the room, akin to light reflecting off the surface of clear water.
"Etiam?" I say aloud. There's no response for a moment, so I say it again, "Etiam, are you there?" A face appears, but it's not who I expected. "Tenebris!" I gasp. "I, um...wasn't expecting you to answer."
My brother's image is visible, hovering in the magic above the locket. He and I are the only siblings to have dark hair; but on him, the striking dark locks are anything but feminine. His hair reaches a little beyond his shoulders, framing a handsome face with a rugged jaw. He wears no facial hair, just the mild shadow of stubble. Bright blue eyes the same hue as mine stare at me.
"What are you playing at, Ferox? Etiam says you went and joined the Inquisition. What purpose do your games serve? Stop toying with those people and come home."
"You know my purpose here, Tenebris. I have to save the dragons."
"So go save them. Why bother with the pathetic Inquisition? You and I both know we don't need them."
"I'm trying to do this the right way. If they can be convinced to stop on their own..."
"You want to share our secrets; are you mad? You're getting too close with them, Ferox! Need I remind you what happened to Lucis when he let his guard down and trusted their kind? What happened to all of us? There's a reason we don't go among them. You're forgetting what's at stake."
"No, you're forgetting! Without the dragons all of Thedas will fall. And I swear, Tenebris, if I find out you helped Corypheus build that thing, I swear I-"
"Of course I didn't do that," he says, cutting me off. "I treasure the dragons as much as you do. But you're not listening. Where are you, exactly? It looks like a basement," he comments, wrinkling his nose in disgust.
"I knew you wouldn't understand, that's why I didn't tell you I was leaving. Don't come here, Tenebris."
"I'll see you soon," he says and his face disappears, the connection to the Well lost.
"Well, shit," a voice comments behind me. "You don't see that every day."
My eyes widen in shock and I turn to find Varric standing with Hawke near the cellar door. Damn it, reflexes like a twitchy cat, how could I have forgotten?
Garrett frowns at me. "I think you owe us an explanation," he says, his tone deadly serious.
"Okay," I agree, closing the locket. I stand up and fasten it around my neck again. "Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?"
"We can use our room," Varric decides, and we head back up to the tower.
I open the door first and sit on the bed. Unsurprisingly, with his strange boundary issues, Hawke sits next to me. Varric sits on his own bed, and they both look at me expectantly.
"I've never seen magic like that before," Garrett states. "Why don't we start there."
"Very well. I've already told you that my family is a bit...different," I begin. "We've studied rare magics and traveled the word in order to seek them out. I'd be surprised if you had heard of much of what we do, Garrett. No offense, it's just not things that are normally taught in the Circle. That particular one was a communication spell. I was using it to contact my brother Etiam, but that wasn't him you saw."
"One of the other brothers, then?" Varric clarifies.
"Yes, the youngest, Tenebris," I confirm, nodding. "I hadn't told him I was leaving. Etiam was the only one who knew. Tenebris is a bit of a hot-head, and I didn't think he'd take it well. I was right; he's angry with me. He thinks I shouldn't share our magic with the world. We've kept mostly to ourselves for a long time."
"And what was that about Corypheus? You suspect your brother of helping him?" Garrett asks.
"Tenebris's favored area of study has always been the darker arts, including corruption magic: entropy."
"Blood magic," Varric interjects.
"Sometimes, yes. Blood magic, while abhorrent, needs to be understood. Even if we don't use it, how will we know how to counter it if we don't study it?"
They're both thoughtful for a moment.
"Studying darker magics is useful. He also studied the darkspawn taint. It's how I know Corypheus's dragon is most definitely not an Archdemon. We'd know. Your favorites, the Grey Wardens, would know. It's just a poor, corrupted high dragon. But I have no idea how Corypheus managed such a thing. Tenebris knows more about that kind of magic than any other living mage that I know of. I'm sure Corypheus would love to get his hands on half of what my brother knows."
"And do you believe him when he says he didn't do it?" Hawke asks.
"I do. Tenebris is many things, but he's usually not a liar. At least not to me. And he does care about the dragons. I don't see Corypheus being able to offer anything that would sway him to hurt them."
"He sounded like he was coming here," Varric points out.
"Yes, I'm sure we'll have to deal with his company at some point. At least it's him and not Lucis that found out. I doubt he'd ever forgive me."
"Lucis is the twin," Varric tells Hawke.
"And here I thought my family was complicated," Garrett says, shaking his head. "So Etiam was the spirit mage, this Tenebris studies entropy and corruption, and you're a master of elemental magic. What's the last brother a specialist in?"
"Creation and nature," I answer.
"Of course, the four schools of magic, Creation, Primal, Spirit and Entropy. You each picked one."
Technically, we each had taught one centuries ago, and they were named after us. But, I'm not about to admit to that, so I just nod.
"Now do you want to tell me why you were eavesdropping on a private conversation?" I ask them both.
"I wasn't eavesdropping...not on purpose," Varric jokes, and I'm reminded of my first day at Skyhold. Those had been some of my first words after I'd been caught watching Hawke and Declan.
I can't help it, I grin. "Cute, but not an answer."
"Varric was concerned," Hawke states. "He heard you sneak off, and was worried you might be running away."
"Why would I do that?" I question.
Varric replies, "Oh, you know, the whole 'death by dragon' thing that you're going up against tomorrow. Although after seeing the little display back there, I'm willing to admit you know a lot more about magic than I thought was possible."
"I wasn't running away, Varric, I just didn't want to have to explain more weird abilities. I'm enough of a freak as it is," I sigh.
"Firefly, if you can pull that dragon shit off tomorrow, I'd say the world miracle applies more than freak."
"Then tomorrow, I'll be a walking miracle. And maybe you'll learn to trust me a bit more," I say, the last bit with pointed looks at both of them.
"So, Garrett…" I start.
"Yes?" he asks.
"You planning on staying all night or something? You should go cuddle with Varric if that's the case, because I'd like to get some sleep tonight."
He laughs, but gets up to go. "See you both in the morning."