A New Home

Amalyr rubbed her palms nervously on her trousers, taking a deep breath she stepped through the door of the Blooming Rose. She could feel the flush creep a long her skin as her gaze leaped from one scantily clad person to another, while trying to avoid staring overly long at anyone.

That guard said Uncle Gamlen spends most evenings here. Trying to ignore the heavy petting in the darker corners, Amalyr made her way through the common room to the matronly woman bustling about. "Excuse me?"

The woman began writing in a large well-used ledger on the bar counter ignoring Amalyr. Clearing her throat Amalyr tried again. "Excuse me?"

"Go away, I'm busy." Came the woman's short replay as she continued making notations.

To no avail, Amalyr looked around the room again trying to find someone who would be a little more inclined to help. "Um.. Pardon me." Amalyr's frustration building as the quill continued its scratching along the vellum. Determined to get the woman's attention Amalyr tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt b"

"For the love of..." She set the quill down, closing the ledger in vexation. "Yes you do. Fine what is it, I'm very busy so make it quick." She pointed to the door. "Or leave." She glared as her foot began to tap out her impatience.

Not wanting her resentment to show Amalyr tried modulating her tone to sound apologetic. "Are you in charge here?"

"No." She pointed over her shoulder to a colorfully garbed woman in the back chatting with a patron. "She is, I take care of the day to day needs."

"I'm looking..." Shifting uncomfortably beneath the woman's scrutiny Amalyr changed what she was going to say. "Uh...The guard at the docks said" before she could finish the woman was off her stool tilting Amalyr's chin this way and that.

"The guard sent you, did he?" lightly placing her finger tips on Amalyr's shoulder the woman slowly circled her clucking to herself as she studied the confused girl from all angles, as abruptly as it began it stopped. "You're one of the refugees that have been poring in to this city aren't you honey?" She nodded to herself. "The guard's not completely addled."

"Oh I like this one, can we keep her?" Amalyr jumped at the purr and unexpected caress from behind.

The matron continued as if nothing had happened. "Young, almost pretty, combined with that hair you will do well for some of our clients." Without pausing for breath the woman reached for her book and continued. "You start tonight. If the clients like you we'll keep you." The strawberry blonde elf pouted licked his lips and made his was up the stairs.

"No! Maker no!" Amalyr blushed and raked her fingers through her hair uncomfortably. "I mean, no. I'm not looking for work. I was told I could find Un...Uh...Gamlen here?"

"Him?" The woman's disgust was evident. "That no good drunken sot is at the end of the bar." She snorted then continued in friendly tone, at odds with her earlier demeanor. "Listen honey, let me give you some advice. Whatever you have going on with that sorry excuse. Leave him, you can do better and if you come to your senses come by and ask for me. I'm Vivica. We take care of our entertainers, put a roof over your head, good meals and a steady income. You wont find a better offer in all of Kirkwall." Vivica bustled off leaving Amalyr to gape after her.

She turned her attention to her uncle. Other than the graying temples and sour expression, there is no ignoring the family resemblance. "Gamlen? Gamlen Amell?"

Gamlen lifting his glare from the mug to study her said appreciatively. "Listen sweetheart, I don't have any coin, unless you are offering your services for free." He pulled her into his lap and squeezed.

In panic and disgust, Amalyr pushed violently away unseating her uncle in the process. "No, no way, I am never, ever, ever, ever, going to happen. Ugh...that's just...never!" She walked a short distance away shuddering at the feel of her uncle's arms around her.

Scowling Gamlen got up from the floor, his glare renewed. "Well then get lost. I've got nothing, so whatever your after you can go back to your boss, or who ever sent you, and tell them to find some one else."

Unhinged Amalyr shouted back at her uncle, "I don't want anything from you, if it wasn't for my mother, your sister I would..." Visibly restraining herself, Amalyr stormed out the door. I'll find something else, somewhere else, anywhere else but here.

Gamlen, wits slowed by drink, just realized what Amalyr had said and called to her, "Sister? What sister? The only sister I had left with that apostate ye..." Comprehension dawned. "Leandra? Leandra's here? Wait girl. Wait!" Gamlen chased after his niece.

Once outside, he reached for her only to find himself up against the brothel wall with a blade a hair's breath from his neck. "Don't touch me, don't ever touch me!" As quickly as the blade appeared it vanished, she stepped back the anger in her eyes daring him to try again.

Gamlen rubbed his neck staying against the wall lest she change her mind about that dagger. Swallowing he asked. "Leandra? Is she okay?"

"Mother is just fine. She's waiting at the docks for me to return." He visibly relaxed when she folded her arms across her chest. "I came to find you, Mother said you would be able to help."

Her uncle's glare returned. "Leandra left years ago, she has no right to ask for help now. Let her apostate take care of her."

The look in his niece's eyes scared him more than the dagger had. "Father's dead, he has been for sometime ."

He shifted uncomfortably "I didn't know, tell her I'm... Oh what's the use. I'm sorry girl. Tell Leandra I miss her, but I can't help. The estate is gone and any coin I had is dried up. I can barely manage to take care of myself let alone anyone else. Let me know when your settled somewhere and I'll come find you." Gamlen grimaced and quickly beat a hasty retreat.

Amalyr wandered for sometime. Now what are we going to do, Mother was counting on Gamlen to help, and without it there is no way into Kirkwall. I suppose we can look in the out lying provinces. Amalyr was deep in thought as she watched her family from the portcullis. Leaning against the wall she rested her head on its cold surface, turning she slid down the wall, forearms resting on her knees as she she stared up at the gray drab buildings of the city. No, I can't do that to mother or Bethany; there has to be another way in.

"It looks like you may need my help." A light haired elven woman clothed in a lattice work of straps and a brace of wicked looking throwing knives appeared from the darkened ally way across from where Amalyr had been sitting moments before. "As luck would have it, I need help; maybe we can help each other out and both get what we want?"

Amalyr eyed the woman warily. "I'm listening."

-oOo-

Amalyr jogged across the Gallows courtyard to where the others rested. "Mother, Bethany."

Aveline stepped into her path bringing Amalyr to a halt. "Where have you been? It's been three days."

Amalyr brushed by the tall woman. "Getting us into Kirkwall, where else?" She helped her mother to her feet as she spoke, "We have way into the city and a place to stay, no thanks to our dear uncle." She looked over her shoulder a speculative look in her eyes. "Aveline, your staying with us, at least until you can find a place of your own." Amalyr grinned at the shocked expression that blossomed on the other woman's face.

"I...uh...thank you." Aveline stuttered, a tentative smile slowly spreading across her features.

"After everything that has happened we are friends of a sort, aren't we? Think nothing of it. Oh, you may want to check with the city guard, I hear they are hiring."

Bethany hugged her sister but the hurt was her in her voice. "Lyr, you could have sent word. We were worried when you didn't return, and mother was in a panic this morning. I had to use that sleep spell Keeper Marethari taught me to keep her from storming the gates looking for you."

She winked a Bethany. "We'll talk later, after we've gotten mother settled.

"Come mother, I've found us a place." Amalyr grabbed Leandra's pack. "It isn't far from here."

The smile that graced Leandra brought forth answering grins from her daughters. "It will be so good to see Gamlen, I haven't seen him in years and there is so much to catch up on." Amalyr's own smile faltered as she followed her mother who began talking, animatedly, about her youth in Kirkwall, from her betrothal to Guillaume de Launcet to her father sneaking out of the Gallows to pay court to her.

I've missed seeing her like this, its had been so long since the last time I've seen her smile. Amalyr watched her mother travel down memory lane. I wish Carver had been able to see this. He would not have liked Kirkwall but he would have done anything to see her safe and happy.

Her smile faded further and her shoulders slumped at the thought. First, father, and now you, I'm so sorry Carver. It was my fault you faced that Ogre alone. I should have been paying more attention... a snort and accompanying head butt from Knight-Blade interrupted her musings just as Leandra headed down a side street. "Mother, we should be getting on home, I'm not sure what the streets will hold for us once its gotten dark."

Leandra pointed in the direction she had been headed. "The Amell estate is that way." Amalyr shook her head, and Leandra frowned. "It may have been before you were born when last I was here, but Kirkwall has not changed so much that I can not remember the way."

Amalyr suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and answered the question her mother's puzzled expression invoked. "We will not be staying with Gamlen, and he's now lives in a more humble location. I can take you to see him once we are settled." Without further conversation Amalyr lead the small group through a small market place, with various vendors hawking their wares, down a series of narrow streets and stairs until they reached the small home.

Bethany wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Lyr, are you sure this is a good idea? Wouldn't it have been better if we could stay closer to where uncle Gamlen lives? It smells like old cabbage left in the sun." Grinning at her sister's reaction Amalyr lead the way inside.

"Gamlen?" Leandra rushed around the side of the building passing her daughters. Embracing her brother, she began crying into his shoulder.

Embarrassed Gamlen patted his sister awkwardly. "Leandra its...good to see you. I haven't seen you since you ran off with that...Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" He cleared his throat catching sight of his nieces. "Well...um."

"Oh. Gamlen so much has happened. I had wanted..."

Waving away the rest of the sentence Gamlen lead his sister and nieces to the small home. "Will you be staying here?" He snorted as he stepped through the door. He grimaced at Aveline and the girls. "Its small but its a place to sleep. Come Leandra lets get you settled then we can talk."

A false smiled graced Amalyr's lips. "I will see you later tonight, mother. I have a commitment I must keep." She nodded curtly to her uncle. "Gamlen."

"What? Wait, where are you going? We just arrived you shouldn't be going out this late. I'm sure what ever it is it can wait until morning." Leandra's scolding falling on an empty doorway.

Bethany followed as her sister as she slipped out the door. "Lyr?"

"Bethy." Bethany jumped startled as her sister's voice came out of the darkness. "Go back inside with mother. I'll be back shortly."

"Maker Lyr, you shouldn't sneak up on a person like that, I could have wet myself." Taking a deep breath she continued, "Where are you going?"

"Lets just say I have something I have to take care of. Relax, go back inside I will be back soon." Amalyr smiled disarmingly.

"Oh no Lyr, you disappeared for days and when we are finally allowed into Kirkwall you go haring off again. Not this time. I am going with you." Bethany crossed her arms over her chest, jutting her chin out stubbornly. I'll be damned if she leaves me behind again.

Amalyr grimaced over the memory of her confrontation with Gamlen. "Gamlen was unable to get us into Kirkwall. It would appear that our dear old uncle has managed to squander all of our grandparent's wealth and lost Mother's ancestral home. I had to find another way in. I'm going to meet her so we can hammer out the rest of the details and finalize our arrangement."

Bethany still stood with her arms crossed, clearly not leaving.

"Fine." Came Amalyr's short reply as she headed off at a brisk pace.

Bethany fell in behind her. "Where are we going?"

Her sister pointed to a gross caricature of an armored man, stung upside down from a post. "The Hanged Man."

When Amalyr opened the door to the dim lit tavern, Bethany coughed as the smell of stale urine and vomit assailed her.

Amalyr pointed to a table in the corner, which had a clear view of the rest of the bar. "I'll get us something to drink while we wait for Athenral." Without further comment, Amalyr made her way to the bar.