Chapter 6: The Wastes

Hawke and his allies made their way across the Vimmark wastes, on their way to the Carta base that, according to Varric's contacts, was near the foothills of the Vimmark Mountains.

It was a little larger group than Hawke was used to, but if this was a trap, and he had no reason to believe that it wasn't, he wanted to make sure he had the people he would need to fight out of it.

Varric had agreed to come, as well as Merrill, Fenris, and Isabela. Aveline had stayed behind to keep an eye on Mother for him, and he had left Rabbit behind to see to her personal protection. Carver, Arika, and Lin had also joined them. The three wardens seemed to be as eager as he was to end this threat to his family, not that that was surprising.

Garrett was a bit surprised at the camaraderie that the other two wardens showed to his brother. Anders had always portrayed them as cold, caring only about their mission, all but his old Commander anyway.

He would not admit it, but he was glad that they were here, and it was nice to be fighting at the side of his little brother again.

Plus, it gave him a chance to speak with this Arika. She was an interesting creature this one, all fury and passion, deadly to her enemies, but fiercely loyal to her friends and allies. Garrett had feared that the girl saw Carver only as a form of entertainment, and that she would discard him as soon as she grew bored.

That thought had made the apostate see red, he might not come out and say it often, but he loved Carver. They had lost Bethany during the Blight, and when Carver had sickened during the deep roads expedition, Garrett had fear that he had lost his brother too. He still felt responsible for Carver's welfare, if the girl thought that she could hurt him…

This isn't your fight Rett.

But Father, Carver will…

Your brother will endure this; he needs to learn how to endure this, just as you did.

Garrett paused.

That had been a conversation between their father and him. It had taken place during their second year in Lothering. Garrett had been thirteen at the time, Carver and Bethany nine.

A local bully had been harassing Carver, Garrett had wanted to deal with the problem himself, but his father had forbade him, this was Carver's fight, father had said, he needed to fight it on his own.

One day, Carver came home beaten and bloody, but victorious. The bully had made the mistake of saying something bad about Bethany.

Carver looked bad, but the bully had gotten it worse. Mother had fussed as Father had healed and tended to Carver's wounds. He had been grinning from ear to ear, it must have hurt like Andraste's pyre, but he had faced it like a man.

Garrett had never been more proud of his little brother.

Father's lesson still held merit, even today.

Garrett had to trust Carver's judgment, if he said his feelings for the girl were genuine, it was not up to his over protective older brother to interfere.

Not that interference was necessary; Garrett had gotten a chance to speak with Arika. She had not been insulted by his concern, in fact she had figured out what he had been working up to asking even before he had a chance to say anything.

"I am your brother's," the reaver stated flatly, "And he is mine, if he was to meet my brothers, they would no doubt question the sincerity of his feelings for me. They might even challenge him to a duel, to prove his willingness to stay with me. If they did, I would stand with him."

"Would you have fought your own brothers, for Carver?"

"I would," she said with a hint of a smile, "In truth it would not be a fair fight, Alin is rubbish with a short sword, and Arin is our village merchant, he would not last long against Carver or I," the reaver grinned, "I understand your concern serah, but know this, I would sooner die than hurt Carver. I…I am more than just his…I…I…I love him."

Garrett was shocked, the only reavers he had encountered before had been brutes in the employ of criminals, and he never imagined one could speak with such conviction.

Apparently, the reaver girl seemed to genuinely love his brother.

That pleased Garrett, Carver deserved to have some happiness in his life.

He deserved to have something more than just blood and death, which was sadly what they were all likely walking into.

The wastes stretched out around them, a land of sand, scrub brush, and rocks. The sun beat down hard on the landscape, bleaching everything around them.

Slowly a settlement came into view, sand brick buildings, surrounded by simple fortifications.

Garrett snorted; it seemed that they had found the rodents' nest.

This did not seem like a typical Carta base; usually the dwarves chose some place dark, someplace that did not remind them that they were on the surface now. Plus, they were pretty far out from…well anything really. Varric had admitted that their businesses in Kirkwall had suffered lately.

What could be so important that they would hide out all the way out here?

Hawke took a deep drink from his water skin. Whatever their reasons it did not matter. The dwarves would either stop these attacks on his family, or he would make them stop.

Either way this problem would end.

IOI

Lin bounded forward, scouting ahead; she had traded her normal black cloak for one of tan colors. She vanished over the nearest rise.

Garrett called the group to a stop; they would wait until the elf returned.

"You sure they won't see her Junior?" Varric asked Carver.

Carver chuckled.

"Lin is one of our best scouts Varric," he said confidently, "She has walked into the darkness of the deep roads by herself and come back safely, she can deal with a bunch of Carta scum."

"She seems most formidable Hawke," Fenris said quietly, "We should trust Carver's judgment on this."

Carver glanced at the elf, never in all the time that he had known Fenris had the elf ever agreed with anything he had said.

Arika smiled.

She and Lin had discussed the archer's…infatuation with Hawke's elven companion. Arika had suggested that, after talking to Carver, that Lin prove her skills to Fenris. The Tevinter elf was a pragmatist; he needed to see Lin's strengths, to see that she would be a proper companion.

Once he had seen that, the dance of romance and mating could begin.

Lin had blushed at that, she…she found Fenris extremely attractive, but…why would he want a former bandit and a grey warden to boot.

"Let the man decide," Arika advised.

Lin nodded, that made sense.

IOI

Varric shook his head; he kicked idly at a stone on the side of the road.

'None of this makes sense," he grumbled.

"What is it?' Garrett asked, "It's just the Carta isn't it?"

"They should not be here," Varric snorted, "Where is the profit in hiding here? There should not even be a here. It is just plain stupid."

"I can't argue with that," Carver agreed, "An assault on the warden keep at Ansburg was foolish, not to mention suicidal."

"Then the attack on the estate," Garrett nodded, "It would have been smarted to try and jump me out on the wounded coast, or in darktown."

"Maybe they just wanted to see you naked Hawke," Isabela chuckled, "I know that I enjoy that view."

Hawke blushed.

The pirate queen grinned.

Carver rolled his eyes.

That was an image he really did not need to think of.

"These attacks can't continue," Isabela continued, "If a girl can't feel safe being naked in a man's bed chamber, where can she feel safe?"

Arika snorted, Carver had warned her about the pirate, it seemed that his wardens did not do the woman justice.

She was worse than anything he had said.

"This does not matter," the reaver said coldly, "these dwarves have made a critical error. They have angered the wardens, the Hawkes, and me. They will either cease these attacks, or we shall send them to whatever god they worship. Their blood will color the sand here." The reaver smiled, it was cold and predatory, "We will send the survivors scurrying black underground like the rodents they are."

Isabela grinned, she had to admit, Carver had good taste in women.

"She is quite frisky isn't she kitten," she said to Merrill, "I see why Carver likes her; she is probably a tigress between the sheets."

Merrill giggled.

Garrett smiled, he pretended he did not hear that, "Well said Arika," he said.

The reaver nodded at the compliment.

She glanced over at Varric; she could not tell if he had taken offense at her comment. She had no desire to alienate a friend of Carver's.

She turned to Varric.

"No offense Master dwarf," she offered.

"No problem Reaver," Varric chuckled, "I never take offense from a beautiful woman carrying a wicked looking sword, she might decide to use it."

The reaver laughed lightly.

"A wise attitude," Arika agreed, "Stay that course, and you will live a long and happy life."

"That is the plan," Varric chuckled, "I'm just a businessman and a storyteller; I hope to be a very old businessman and a storyteller one day."

"Provided one of your cousins does not kill you," Hawke said dryly.

"I was trying to not think about that Hawke," Varric frowned, "thanks for reminding me."

"Anytime," Hawke replied.

It was at that moment that Lin bounded back, she looked concerned.

"They see you?" Arika asked.

The archer shook her head.

"You need to see this," she said, "Follow."

Everyone did.

IOI

She led them to the sight of a massacre.

Dwarves lay scattered along the side of the road, they had been brutalized and their throats had been cut, their bronto and oxen mounts had been killed too. The blood of the slain stained the very road. Their merchandise lay scattered where they fell.

Varric's eyes narrowed.

"These men were from the merchant's guild," he said.

"Is that important?" Hawke inquired.

"The Carta does not kill guild members Hawke," he said shaking his head, "Look at this, they left the valuables too, at least two hundred sovereigns worth of trade goods left to rot in the sun. They did not even take anything. I said it before, I will say it again, something stinks here."

Garrett sighed; this whole thing was starting to give him a headache. Why slaughter these men if it was not about profit?

Varric was right, it made no sense!

Isabela kneeled down to examine the bodies, she saw no defensive wounds, these traders likely thought they were safe…right up to the very end.

She helped herself to a ring; it was not as if the traders would miss it.

Garrett either did not see her do this, or chose to ignore it.

The apostate had to admit, these Carta fools were really starting to piss him off.

Lin had found the entrance to the base; The dwarves had blocked it with some kind of bronto pen. They likely used it for a sport, and to keep intruders away.

Hawke would not be dissuaded; they needed to have a word with the rodent in charge.

He led from the front, a few times; they caught sight of scouts watching from the hills. Lin thought about firing on them, but they moved too fast, and had too good of cover.

The carta dwarves voices rang out across the landscape.

"IT IS THE HAWKE!"

"OUR TIME HAS COME GLORY!"

Hawke was surprised, if the dwarves were planning on trapping them, this was not the way to go about it.

Several Carta archers tried to harass them, but between Lin and Varric's arrows, and Garrett's magic the Carta was outmatched.

The dwarves fell back; it did not take much to see that they were leading Hawke and his companions somewhere.

Once again none of this made any sense, why would the Carta risk letting them into their stronghold, they could have come out and overwhelmed them with superior numbers?

More questions, and there was only one place that they would find any answers.

Hawke led them forward.

It was time to get to the bottom of all this!