Chapter Thirty-two: Good News
I walk to Varric's usual spot, trying not to run in my excitement. I stop short when I don't see him there. He's not still in his room, is he? I turn to go that way, instead, receiving a small wave from Solas as I pass. When did we start to be friendly? But, despite my apprehension about the trickster elven god, I wave back anyway.
I knock on his door, but Varric doesn't answer. Not here either? Where would he be? Maybe with Hawke? I know Garrett has a room on the upper walkway, and I head that direction. I'm stopped by Leliana.
"Ferox, you are looking for someone, no?" she asks.
"I'm supposed to tell Varric and Hawke about the mission with Cassandra, but I've looked all over the keep, and I can't seem to find them."
"That's because they are at the tavern," she responds.
"Yeah, that make sense. Thanks." I turn to walk away.
"Wait," she says, moving closer. "There is something I believe we should discuss."
I don't like the sounds of that. "What's that?" I ask.
"I find your behavior most curious. You won't tell us the simplest thing about your background, but you put yourself in harm's way to help Cassandra. It is not often I cannot discover the answers to questions."
"What I said was the truth," I answer.
She narrows her eyes, assessing me. "If you have nothing to hide, it costs you nothing to be more forthcoming."
"And I have been, just not with you."
The expression on her face is one of surprise, then confusion. So Hawke and Varric haven't told anyone else about me. Good to know they can keep a secret. She quickly masks her features again.
"The others were rather quick to trust you."
"I'm not a threat, Leliana. But poke around all you like if it helps you sleep better."
She shows a careful smile. Polite, distant. I hate these kinds of games. Why can't people just say things directly?
"I need to be going," I say, watching her expression. She doesn't stop me again, so I turn and head back down the stair. Halfway down, I turn back and see Leliana talking with someone. Alistair? He glances down at me and sees me watching them, and nods in acknowledgement. I turn, and finish descending the stairs to the grassy area below. I can see the tavern from here.
A cute female dwarf smiles warmly at me as I get closer.
"You're Dragon Girl, right?"
"Yep, I take it you've heard of me."
"I make it my business to know who to go to when I find things. I'm Scout Lace Harding," she says, extending a hand. I shake it, smiling at her. I can't tell which feature of hers I like better, her friendly eyes or adorable freckles.
"Ah, the infamous Harding. I've heard of you too. Declan says nothing but good things. Like that you would brave the very depths of the Void itself and return to give a detailed report on conditions there.
She laughs. "That sounds like him. Speaking of awful places, I hear you're going to the Hissing Wastes?"
"Yeah, another dragon to deal with."
"My advice? Pack warm. It might be a desert, but it's definitely not hot there. And, it's...empty. Scouting the place turned out to be really boring. Thankfully, there were plenty of Venatori, Red Templars and varghests to keep us busy."
"Varghests, huh?" I asked, my mind already working. I hadn't known too much about wyverns. Maybe I should go ask Frederic or Minaeve about varghests, just to be on the safe side.
"Yeah, rotten buggers. If they're able to knock you down, they drag you back to their nest to feed later. We had to fish a few agents out of a nest not long after we got there," she tells me.
"Sounds awful."
"Be careful out there, okay?"
"Do my best," I answer, nodding in her direction, before opening the door to the Herald's Rest.
The interior of the bar is more crowded than last time, but still manageable.
"Well, if it isn't Dragon Girl ," a low masculine voice says from my side, and I know who it is before I even look.
"You're back!" I yell, hugging my brother, Tenebris.
"You've become quite famous, sister," he teases, and gestures for me to sit down.
I shake my head. "I'd love to sit and chat, but I need to find Hawke and Varric."
"Right," he says, suddenly not finding things so funny. "Your new lover is on the second floor, drinking with Hawke and some girl named Maeven?"
"Seriously?!" I ask, suddenly excited. I run up the stairs and turn to find the three of them at a table with Sera.
"And so then Dragon Girl is like, wha na naaa and starts dancing, right?" Sera says.
"She didn't!" gasps Maeven, astonished.
"Not this story again," I complain. "You need to get out more, Sera."
"Probably," she admits.
"But I hadn't heard this one, yet," Maeven complained.
"I saved the dragon so she could nest, and Sera killed a snowy wyvern that nearly ate me. The end."
Sera groans in disappointment. "You ruined it, I was just gettin' to the good parts."
I feel movement behind me and see that Tenebris has followed me up the stairs.
"Oh, Maeven, this is my brother, Tenebris. I don't believe you've met yet. He just got back from Kirkwall."
"Come, sit," Hawke says, scooting his stool over. The table is barely big enough for four, so with the six of us: Varric, Hawke, Sera, Maeven, my brother and I, it's pretty crowded. We grab a couple of stools from the next table over, and I end up sandwiched at the end between Varric and Tenebris. I smile at Varric. He reaches out to hold my hand.
"Finally got it right this time, yeah?" Sera asks, looking at the two of us.
"You could say that," I admit, blushing.
"'Bout time."
Maeven smiles at us, and I flash a grin in her direction.
"Oh, but the reason I'm here is that I have news from Cassandra. Varric, Hawke, you're both going on another dragon mission with me in the Hissing Wastes."
Varric squeezes my hand, "On the same mission after all."
"Is that right?" Tenebris asks. "Declan just signed me on for his operation in the Hissing Wastes, so it looks like we're headed in the same direction."
"Are you going to the party in Halamshiral, then?"
"Unfortunately. You know how I hate these affairs. So tedious."
"Agreed. But at least there's food and dancing," I remind him.
"Food, anyway," he concedes. "I hate dancing."
I look to Varric. "You're going too, right?"
He nods. "Yeah, I got roped into it. Something about my connections in the Free Marches. I'm not a fan of these things either, but at least you'll be there to make it interesting. Planning on breaking any tables this time?"
I give him a playful slap on the arm. "Hey!"
Hawke interjects, "Yeah, that's not fair, Varric. She only breaks tables when she's mad at you."
"Which is all the time," Sera comments.
"Not true, I'm quite happy with him at the moment." A shared grin between Varric and I.
"And he'd better keep you happy if he knows what's good for him," Tenebris adds with a chuckle. Leaning in he whispers to Varric "You've only gotten a taste of my sister's moods."
"I thought you were backing me up, Tenebris! I'll tell them about the time in that cave, when you-"
"I thought I made myself clear, Ferox. I get to pick on you. It doesn't go the other way."
The occupants of the table laugh, including me. It feels good. Things have been so tense lately, that just relaxing like this in good company feels nice.
"When did you get back to Skyhold, Maeven?" I ask.
"Just today. We finished up in Crestwood and they sent me back. I'm headed to the Exalted Plains next. Should be fun."
"We just got back from there not too long ago," I say. "Annoying demons, but there are far fewer wyverns now, thanks to us."
"Too right, we did!" Sera shouts. "We made that place all kinds of safe...well...at least from wyverns, but it still counts!"
"I'm a little sad you won't be along for this one," I tell Sera.
"Yeah. Stupid big swords."
"Wait, I thought you didn't like 'poking the dragons'?"
"Well, I hadn't seen you do it yet then, had I? Maybe it is good to believe that Dragon Girl is the real deal."
She believes? Sera, the one who didn't even like that I was a mage wants to believe? "Thank you, Sera...I…" I slide off my stool and walk over to hug her.
"Whassat for?" she mumbled, her face a bit pink.
"Just let me hug you," I insist.
Tenebris laughs. "Ferox isn't used to having friends outside the family. It was just the four of us for a very long time." His voice softens and he adds, "Maybe I'm still getting used to it, too."
"Oh…" I say, remembering, and I let go of Sera. "I heard from Etiam finally. He warned me that Lucis will likely be coming soon."
Tenebris sighs, lowering his head. "Then our time here is nearly up."
"What?" Varric asked, frowning. "You're leaving?"
"No, I'm not," I reassure him, pursing my lips together. "He's welcome to try, but I've already decided I'm not going anywhere. Well, I mean, we're going on the next mission, but you know what I mean."
Tenebris steps off his own stool, and takes a step toward me. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I am. We were wrong to cut ourselves off for so long. We should have come back a long time ago." I look at my brother. "Can you honestly tell me you want to go back to the way things were before we joined the Inquisition?"
He frowned. "No," he admits.