~::Chapter Two::~

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Bethany asked Correm as they made their way through Hightown.

Her brother scratched at the back of his neck at some badly peeling sunburn. "We are so marvelous, dear sister, how could anyone possibly refuse us?"

Being in Hightown was very uncomfortable for her. She felt as if the templars could come swooping down on her at any moment. They were also very out of place around all the more wealthy denizens of Kirkwall, and they received many unwelcome comments. These were mostly regarding their clothes. They were called "dirty dog-lords" more than once, warned against stealing wares from one of the merchants they passed, and referred to as refugee scum a couple of times. The fact that they had brought Correm's mabari Bostrix with them did not help stem the flow of derogatory nicknames.

Passing a doorway, Bethany stiffened when she heard a man within make a disconcertingly lewd comment about her. It was suggested, though not as politely, that she should leave behind her current company to take up with a "real man". This was happening in Hightown? Well, that would serve them for wandering too close to the brothel.

Correm stopped. Bethany was suddenly concerned that he might do something rash to defend her "dignity", as he always put it. While she loved his protective side, she didn't want to cause a scene, not here, and not now. These things happened, and it would be impossible for him to defend her from every uncouth comment that she would ever receive. Some men were simply crude by nature, and anything with a pair of breasts would draw their attention. It wasn't worth drawing the wrath of the guard down on them.

"Bostrix, how would you like to go gnaw someone's face off?" Correm grinned down at the dog, who tilted his head and wagged his tail with a loud bark.

Bethany grabbed at his elbow. "No, please, don't," she pleaded. "It's all right. Let's just go." She hoped that he would listen to her. To help him do so, she tugged on his arm to try and distract him and redirect him back to the reason they were in Hightown in the first place.

With a loud sigh, Correm rolled his eyes. "All right, if the lady insists." He looked over to the doorway and lifted a fist in the air, shaking it menacingly. "I'll get you next time!" The mabari growled as well.

Bethany was glad that they were far enough away now that his comment would not be heard. "Maker, I'm surprised you get anywhere without getting into a fist fight." She reached out a hand to scratch at the dog's ears as he padded over to walk next to her with a big doggie grin.

Correm sighed again, and pulled a knife out of his pocket to pick at his fingernails. "Ah, fisticuffs. I haven't been in a good old fist fight in forever."

Bethany scoffed and shook her head. "You got into one at the Hanged Man just last week."

"Oh, sweet Andraste, it's been that long?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "No wonder. I'd better go find someone to insult!"

"Would you at least save it until after we get enrolled in this expedition?" she asked, stepping closer to him. After that encounter, however minimal it was, she felt some anxiety. Bad timing, she supposed.

Correm sucked in air through his teeth. "Hmm, that's a tall order." He grinned at her. "Get it? Tall order? We're going to go see about a job with some dwarves?"

"Brother, you really amaze me sometimes."

"My mission, then, is complete!" He laughed, and slipped his knife back into its belt sheath. "Onward to glory!" Marching forward, he led them into the large square in front of the Dwarven Merchants' Guild. They were supposed to find a fellow named Bartrand there.

Or, rather, they'd be able to find him there. He wasn't exactly expecting them.

"Excuse me, miss?" Bethany heard a pleasant voice speak next to her.

Turning, she saw two dwarves standing there next to the side of a nearby building. One was a younger man who seemed to be especially interested in his nose. He had sandy hair, and did not appear to be very attuned to his surroundings.

The other, the one who had spoken to her, was a grandfatherly sort of dwarf. He had reddish hair and beard, though going a bit gray at the temples, and he had a very warm twinkle in his eyes. There was nothing threatening or lewd about this man at all, which was actually quite a relief for her. Kirkwall seemed to be full of people who wanted to rob, kill, or grope.

Bostrix barked, and bounded over towards the dwarf. He started sniffing at a sack that stood on the ground behind him while the man exclaimed in surprise.

"Doggie!" the younger dwarf cried.

"Bostrix!" Correm bellowed. The dog came back over and whined a little, tucking in his tail and looking up at his master with a pathetic expression.

Bethany curtsied a little to the dwarf. "I am so sorry."

"Oh, it's no problem!" The smile that he gave her was so charming and genuine, she couldn't help but smile back. "I've spent time around mabari before. This fellow doesn't bother me."

"That's good," she said. "Can I help you?"

"My name is Bodhan Feddic, young miss," he said. "At your service. This is my son Sandal. And he seems to be getting along with your mabari!"

It was true. Sandal and Bostrix seemed to be getting along quite well. They were making wuffling and woofing and barking noises back and forth, and both of them were equally excited about it. Bethany could honestly say that she hadn't seen the dog that excited about a stranger ever.

"I think he's made a new friend." Bodhan's eyes crinkled at the corners with a smile, and Bethany could tell that he smiled often. It was nice to see someone in Kirkwall who seemed to be a genuinely pleasant person. So many who lived here were either quite dour or—if she was being frank—on the trashy side. Or criminals, of course. That happened too.

She nodded to him. "Well, good morning to you, serah. I don't think I need anything, thank you." The last thing they needed to do was spend their morning dawdling around when they had important business to take care of.

"What's this?" Correm put his fists on his hips. Bethany could see the quick assessment he made of the two dwarves. He grinned. "What are you selling?"

"Only the finest wares!" Bodhan said. "Is this lovely young lady your wife?"

Correm burst out laughing. He clapped Bodhan on the shoulder. "No, dwarf, this is my sister. But I'm sure she's flattered."

Bethany was blushing. "Brother!"

"Well, aren't you?"

"That's not the point," she retorted. "This isn't what we're here for."

"Oh, please, pardon my rudeness," Bodhan said, wringing his hands. "I meant no offense by it, messere. I just thought she might like to purchase a nice necklace, or some earrings perhaps. I have a pair that would match her eyes just splendidly. Would you like to try them?"

It was a tempting proposition. Bethany would have loved a new pair of earrings, but they didn't have enough extra coin for such things at the moment. "I'm sorry," she said to Bodhan. "We have to get moving. We need to be somewhere."

"Well, we're almost there." Correm looked across the square. The entrance to the merchants' guild hall was there, and as it so happened a few of the members seemed to be milling about talking amongst themselves. It was probably a good time to find Bartrand, or at least find someone who would know exactly where he was.

When he turned back, Bethany saw determination on her brother's face. The sparkle in his eyes when he looked at her gave her a sudden suspicion, and the next words out of his mouth confirmed it.

"Let me take a look at those earrings."

Bethany sighed. The dog nosed at her hand and she gave him a scratch.

Bodhan clapped his hands together once. "Wonderful! Oh, you will be pleased with these, I'm sure messere."

While he went to fetch the earrings out of his wares, the other dwarf stood there and gave Bethany a stupid grin. "Enchantment?" he asked.

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, don't mind Sandal, miss," Bodhan said. "He's a bit simple in the head, but I couldn't wish for a better son. He has quite the skill for enchantments, and he enjoys them more than anything, to boot." In his hands, Bodhan held a small, simple box. He opened the lid, revealing a few pairs of earrings. They were of different colors and sizes, but he pointed to one in particular. "These here, I think would look just beautiful on you." He smiled.

Correm tugged at the strings of his coin purse at his hip. "How much?" he asked. Bodhan gave him the price. It wasn't expensive, for how nice the earrings looked, but it wasn't cheap, either. It gave Bethany a lump in her throat thinking of it. Sure, it was his money, but...

"Don't you even want me to try them on?" she asked, feeling very apprehensive about her brother spending his money like that. "It just seems like a lot of coin to spend right now."

A short argument ensued, but it didn't go anywhere. No matter how reasonable Bethany's protests were, they couldn't compare to her brother's stubbornness and his desire to do something nice for her. It was a little embarrassing for her, actually, to have such a discussion in front of Bodhan. In the end, Bethany had to relent, because Correm was just that stubborn and insistent. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't because, deep down, she really did want the earrings.

While she would have preferred to wait until they got home to put the earrings on, Correm insisted that she wear them right away. She decided to just indulge him and let him spoil her a little bit. In the long run she'd be a lot happier for not fighting against him so much.

When she put the earrings on, out of the corner of her eye Bethany saw a young man lounging against a pillar across the way, watching her. She only caught his gaze for a brief moment before he turned away and looked somewhere else, but it made her uncomfortable. His staring made her nervy.

"Thank you so much, messere," Bodhan said, shaking her brother's hand. "I do appreciate your business, and I hope that I can further provide for your needs in the future. My boy and I will be going out soon on an expedition to the Deep Roads, but any time you need-"

"Oh! You're going into the Deep Roads?" Correm asked. "Would this expedition be with a certain fellow named Bartrand Tethras?"

"Why, the very one!" Bodhan raised his eyebrows. "You know of him?"

"We're hoping to join, actually."

Bethany shook her head. "Well, no guarantees, of course. We haven't even talked to the man yet." She tucked away the little box that Bodhan had given her for the earrings in her small hip pouch with the rest of her things.

"In that case, best of luck to you!" Bodhan grinned at them. "You seem like a fine, capable fellow. You would be a very welcome traveling companion in that place."

"I certainly hope so," Correm said.

"If you ever need anything," the dwarf continued, "my shop will always be open to you. And if you ever have the need to enchant any of your equipment, please, please do not hesitate to pay us a visit. Sandal will be happy to help."

"Enchantment!" Sandal clapped.

Bethany couldn't help feeling charmed.

Bodhan suddenly pointed between them at one of the streets leading into the square. "Why, there he is! Bartrand, I mean. You should go speak to him. He's the one on the left."

"Excellent!" Correm exclaimed. "I believe I will. Come, Bethany."

"Thank you, messere," Bethany said to Bodhan as her brother dragged her off. Bostrix barked and followed along

"No, thank you, miss."

Bartrand was speaking with another dwarf as they approached. They were discussing some business matter or other, and Bartrand did not seem very pleased about it. That didn't bode well for approaching him for anything at all, but it wasn't as if they had a choice.

Bethany didn't quite like the look of the man right off the bat. There was a look in his eyes that unsettled her. She had seen all sorts of folks while they were working with Athenril's group, and somehow she was more wary of him than she'd been of some of those others.

As they approached, Bartrand cuffed the man he was talking to across the side of the head. "Idiot! I told you to wait on that deal! Don't you know what's at stake if something goes wrong? I-"

"Sorry to interrupt," Correm said, interrupting. Both dwarves looked up at him. "You're Bartrand Tethras, correct?"

Bartrand narrowed his eyes and glared at the big warrior for a moment, then he brought his attention back to his lackey. He grabbed him by the collar and gave him a quick shake. "Now, you go fix the problem. You hear me?"

"Y-yes Bartrand!" the man stammered. When Bartrand let go of him he scampered off.

"Now. You." The merchant dwarf crossed his arms and threw another baleful gaze in Correm's direction. "You can't go barging into other people's business. Do you know who I am?"

Correm raised his eyebrows. "Well, I'm hoping you're Bartrand Tethras."

Bartrand snorted. "Yes. Yes, I am. Now scram, I'm busy." The mabari snarled at him, his back arching and fur bristling. "And keep that filthy mutt away from me!" He started to stalk off past them back the way they came.

"Bostrix!" Bethany hissed. "Shh, we need his help." The dog tilted his head at her and whined a little, but he backed off.

Bethany was going to leave it to her brother to try and talk this guy down. Things were already looking very bad for their chances on getting hired on to the expedition, and she never fully trusted her brother's tact, but her brother was older than she and he could hold his own better. At least, in this circumstance he could.

"This won't take long, I promise," Correm said. "We're looking for work, and we heard a rumor that you're taking an expedition into the Deep Roads to find lost treasures and become immeasurably wealthy."

"What?" Bartrand barked. "Who are you?"

"Hawke, Correm, at your service." Correm gave the dwarf a casual salute with a slight smirk. "And this is my sister Bethany."

Bartrand grunted and rolled his eyes. He waved a hand in the air and started walking away. "You're too late. We're all full up. I don't need any more grunts. Or their sisters."

"I've got references," Correm protested as they moved to follow. "Well, I have one reference. Do you know Athenril? We've been working for her for a year, and-"

Looking really irritated now, Bartrand said, "Look, I've already told you that I don't need any more help. There are plenty of desperate refugees looking for a quick trip out of Lowtown, and it's not my business to help out every damn sob story out there."

"But we've fought darkspawn before," Bethany said, deciding to add to the conversation a little bit at least. "Won't you need people down there who've done that?"

"I served in the army at Ostagar," Correm added. "Don't you want people with experience?"

"I've got all the experience I need! Besides, this expedition is too important to risk on hiring random humans." Bartrand was pretty irritated now. He stopped and whirled to face them. "There's no work for you here, got it? Go find somewhere else to beg."

Then he was gone, leaving the two siblings standing there in the square with their mabari. It seemed to Bethany that they must look like idiots and fools. She certainly felt like that, anyway. She also started to feel a little frantic. That couldn't have gone very much worse than it had, unless he had outright attacked them. Which would have been unlikely here in Hightown, but not completely outside the realm of possibility. It was Kirkwall, after all. The only concern now was what they were going to do.

Bostrix paced around them in a circle, growled in the direction Bartrand had left, and then padded over to a nearby wall to piss on it.

"Well." Correm rubbed at his cheek. "We can always go ask Gamlen if he knows of something else." He watched the dog absently.

"Something else!" Bethany exclaimed. "Brother, this was our last chance. Without any kind of status, or money, we're just refugees. We're nobodies. There's nothing for us to stand behind the next time someone wants to sell us out."

Correm punched her lightly on the shoulder. "Oh, don't worry. You know big brother's going to keep those templars off you."

"I'm serious," she frowned. "It's all well and good for you to joke about this. You're not the one at risk for being locked away for the rest of your life." She wrapped her arms around herself. "If they don't just kill me right off." Bostrix whimpered and nuzzled at her leg comfortingly. She allowed his furry warmth to soothe her nerves a little.

It would just be their luck to escape the Blight, make it all the way from Gwaren on that accursed ship to Kirkwall, work for criminals for a year to earn the money for bribing their way into the city, and the moment they're free to mind their own business, she'd get caught by templars. Maker knew she didn't want it to be like this. She'd never wanted to be a burden to anyone. Before their father Malcolm had died, the whole family hadn't been on the move just for her. The last four years, however, it had been just her. All of it was for her now.

"Nonsense," Correm waved that idea aside. "You're far too pretty for that. I'd-"

"Correm!"

He cleared his throat. "Sorry."

Bethany sighed, and rubbed at her eyes. "Maybe Gamlen knows someone who could talk to Bartrand for us, and convince him to hire us."

Correm shrugged. "He's all but useless, that one."

"It can't hurt. Let's get going, in either case."

Bostrix barked. Bethany couldn't agree more. She wanted to get out of there. The encounter with Bartrand had left a sour taste in her mouth. Speaking with their uncle wasn't something she was looking forward to, but she'd at least like to go home and get something to eat.

While they were leaving the square, the two siblings spoke to each other about what they would say to Gamlen. Neither of them noticed the young man approach until he had already blustered past, bumping against Correm on his way. Bethany realized it was the same young man who had been staring at her earlier.

"Watch—" Correm started to say. He patted at his hip. Bethany saw his eyes grow wide and his face redden. "Hey!"

The boy was dashing off down the street. Correm shouted for Bostrix to go after him, but before the dog could catch up, there was a loud click and a whump and suddenly the thief was pinned to the wall by a large shaft piercing his tunic. He cried out and squirmed, tugging at it uselessly while the dog stopped and snarled at him.

From the side, a dwarf stepped out. He was wielding a large, very unusual and powerful-looking crossbow. Pulling a lever, the multiple arms of the weapon clanked back into place. He slung it back over his shoulder and approached the man pinned to the wall.

"You know, I once knew a man who could pick every last coin out of your pockets just by smiling at you." The dwarf smirked at his victim, and shook his head. "But you? You don't have the style to work Hightown, let alone the Merchant's Guild. You might want to find a new line of work." He cocked back a fist, and slugged the thug square in the jaw. When he yanked the crossbow bolt free from the wall, the young man fell, struggled to his feet, and then ran off with a yelp as the dog chased him.

The dwarf turned to the siblings, twirling the bolt stylishly in his fingers before putting it back with the others. He gave them a dashing grin.

"How do you do? Varric Tethras, at your service!"