Chapter 8: A Father's Tale

Hawke was a storm. He swept away the deranged dwarven criminals like a force of nature. At his side stood his brother, strong and fierce, he met their enemies with fury equal to that of his elder sibling. Behind them came the women they loved. The first, the dusky skinned pirate goddess of Rivain striking down any who opposed her, as ruthless as the sea where she had made her home. The second, the blonde-haired reaver from Nevarra, as pitiless as the mountains that spawned her, few would believe that either of them could lose their hearts, ,much less that they both possessed one, but they had. The Hawke brothers had tamed these two wild vixens, and found the warm yielding maidens beneath.

Varric grinned; his audience back in Kirkwall loved this kind of shit, his inner story teller already forming the language that would make this tale unforgettable. He tried to remain focused on that, because it was the only thing dealing with the sense of nervousness building within him.

He was worried.

He had known Hawke almost four years now, and in all that time, he had never seen his friend like this. Hawke wasn't just attacking the Carta with his magic, he was decimating them. Some tried to run, but they only got as far as Hawke allowed them to.

It was enough to scare even someone like himself.

This business with his Father had really got to Hawke.

Not that Varric was surprised, having grown up around the dwarven merchants' guild he understood how strong the connections of family could be, and the value that others put on those connections.

If not for his own father's indiscretions, Varric Tethras's life would be very different indeed.

What would have happened if Father had never been caught fixing provings with the Carta? How would Varric have turned out if he had been raised in Orzammar? Would his Father still be alive? Would his Mother have still been alive? Would he have become just another stuff-shirted noble strutting through the halls of Orzammar?

Great Ancestors, he certainly hoped not!

His Father's actions had destroyed House Tethras as it had existed for hundreds of years; its very power structure had been decimated. His Father's decisions had effected there whole family. His parents were both dead, and his elder brother Bartrand was locked up in a sanitarium, cursed by his own greed and arrogance.

With that kind of history, it was no wonder that the dwarf was at least a little jealous of Hawke and Carver. They had had a father who not only loved them, but did what was best for his family.

Now it seemed that Malcolm Hawke had not been as honest with his family as he should have been.

Both Hawke brothers were taking it hard.

Hawke had rarely spoken of his father before all this, but when he did, he spoke of a man who he had both loved and respected; a man who had given up much for his wife a children, now to discover that he might have had some dark secret.

It was clearly hitting the young apostate hard.

Surprisingly, Carver seemed to be weathering this far better than his older brother. The old Carver would likely have been worked up into a foaming fury over this, but that had not happened, he was angry sure, but a coldness had settled over the young warden. He recognized the need to take care of business first. Of course, that probably should not have been a surprise. Carver had survived a year as a Grey Warden. Junior probably had seen more terrible things in that one year than most saw in ten. He was bothered by the thought that his father may have done something wrong in the past, but clearly was not as distracted by it as Hawke senior.

Varric grinned; it seemed that Junior had finally grown up. Of course, that might also have something to do with the pretty blonde at his side.

He knew from personal experience how much a good woman in your life could change everything.

Bianca.

The memory made his soul ache for her, not the crossbow, but the beautiful brown haired female rogue who he had given her name.

After all this time, her death still haunted him, but he remembered the strength that she had given him, and tried to remain true to that.

He was seeing that strength in both Carver and Arika, and Garrett and Isabela, not that they would admit it of course, but it was there.

Oh the tension, oh the angst, it was intriguing seeing the two pairs of lovers fight through their feelings so they could do what they had to do.

One thing was for sure, this was going to be one killer story!

Another Carta rogue was charging towards them, Varric brought up Bianca, his crossbow string tensed as he prepared to send a bolt through yet another of those milky tainted eyes. He looked through his sights, took careful aim, and…

He stopped.

"Gerav?" he said.

No, it couldn't be Gerav! His old friend was not stupid enough to be caught up in this.

At the mention of his name, the dwarf stopped.

"V…V…Varric?" he replied, Gerav's voice was distant, like he was seeing his old friend across a distant shore.

Varric did not like that.

"Gerav, what are you doing here? Why are you mixed up in this?"

Hawke glanced his way, "You know this man Varric?"

"I used to Hawke. I…used to…"

"You were not supposed to be here Varric," Gerav responded, "This isn't about you; this is about the Hawke, and the blood that will set our master free!"

"Gerav," Varric shook his head, he was trying to sound nonchalant, but he hated to admit it, this bothered him, Gerav had been a friend once, to see him…to see him tainted, to know that he would have to die.

It bothered him.

"Gerav, buddy, this isn't you. It is one thing to knife someone in the back for fun and profit that is the game. What you are doing out here…whatever it is…worshipping a demon, wanting to bathe in Hawke blood, that isn't you," Varric glanced up at Garrett and Carver, "Whatever you want the blood for it likely won't work. Neither of these boys are virgins anymore, trust me."

Both Hawke brothers glared at him, but Varric continued to talk, trying to reach his old friend.

"I still have Bianca Gerav," he said motioning to his crossbow, "She never misfired a day in her life. I really need an explanation here about all this. Believe it when I say that Bianca really does not want to shoot her daddy."

Gerav did not even acknowledge him, he just kept staring at the Hawke brothers, a look of hunger in those tainted eyes.

"Corypheus is more than we ever realized Varric, he will give the Carta everything, and all we had to do was drink a bit of darkspawn blood."

"Fool dwarf," Arika spat, "You have killed yourselves for no reason then."

"We needed to hear the song," Gerav responded, "the beautiful call; it brings us closer to Corypheus. Now all we need is the blood and he will honor our sacrifice!"

Varric shook his head, he hated to admit it, but his old friend was gone.

"He is your friend Varric," Hawke said grimly, "You want us to spare him?"

"He made his choice Hawke," Varric replied coldly, "He chose to damn himself and come after you, he needs to be stopped," Varric brought up Bianca, his finger tensed on her trigger, "Sorry baby, but I guess you will have to shoot your daddy after all."

The attack came from behind.

Several Carta rogues had managed to approach while everyone was so focused on Gerav, one stuck a blade in Arika's side, the reaver howled, and decapitated her attacker. Fenris fell back defending Lin who tried to get a shot off at their enemies. Merrill just avoided getting her throat cut; she summoned a mass of seething vines that ensnared her opponent.

Gerav giggled.

"Bastard!" Varric snarled, he fired at his old friend…and missed.

Gerav lunged for Garrett, his daggers flashed; he had intended to impale Hawke in the back.

Isabela was there.

She met the Carta dwarf blade for blade. One on one, there was no one better with a set of blades that the Pirate Queen. She twirled, kicked, and slashed, slowly she drove Gerav back. He feigned a back-pedal, trying to trick her into charging into his blades.

Isabela flipped back out of range, but not before throwing a small knife at Gerav.

The blade caught him in the throat; he pulled out the blade, shortening his life by its remaining few minutes, as he drowned in his own blood.

Isabela glared coldly at him as he fell.

"Giggle at that you bloody bastard," She spat.

IOI

Arika spun madly, the wound in her side, the pain, had awakened a frenzy within her. Her pain turned to power, power that grew as she ended the lives of others. She lunged at the dwarves, she slashed, battered, and maimed. One of them made the mistake of getting too close.

She grabbed him, pulled him close, and summoned the powers that the dragons had given her.

A single glance was all it took, the tainted dwarf looked into her eyes, what he saw their terrified him, the strength of the dragons, the strength of ages.

The thug's heart burst.

She feasted on his fear and death, drawing even greater strength from it!

Arika threw him down, she howled in triumph, feeding off the death and agony around her.

It was not enough.

She wanted more.

SHE HUNGERED FOR MORE!

"They're all dead Arika."

She turned with a feral growl. Carver stood there, his sword at the ready, but he hoped that he would not need it.

This was not the first time he had seen his lover lost to her fury.

"Calm down," he said soothingly, "It is Carver, remember Arika. I am your man, please, come back to me."

The reaver's expression softened, she began to breathe again, out went the anger, the haze of the frenzy fading.

"Car-ver?" she panted.

"Yes," he replied, "I'm here."

She staggered into his arms. Garrett was there; he pulled out the dwarven blade in her side, and then began to pour in healing magic.

Arika sighed, so much like her friend Siobhan. She had been a mage as well, and had healed the reaver after many a battle.

She missed her old friend.

Garrett's healing did what was needed. She released Carver and nodded her thanks.

Hawke returned it.

She was starting to see why Carver was so…intimidated by his brother's presence.

Hawke might have been scruffy lowland apostate, but he had strength and skill.

Not as much as her Carver of course, but he did have his share.

She could respect that.

IOI

Varric looked down at Gerav's body. He looked sad, he did not make many friends, associates yes, allies sure, but not people he called true friends.

Gerav had been one of those…once.

"Were you two close?" Hawke asked him.

Varric chuckled, that was a complicated question.

"Before I met you Hawke, I used to do a lot of business with the Carta; Gerav was my contact back then. He was a crazy bastard even back then, but a good one."

Varric smiled, but it was tinged with sadness.

"He came up with the idea for a new kind of repeating crossbow. He thought it would be his ticket back into Orzammar. That the assembly would see it at grant him true caste status. Sadly…his designs always seemed to have a flaw. Bianca was the only one he ever got to work. He gave her to me, to let me know that he saw me as a friend, and not just as an associate."

Hawke put a hand on his shoulder.

"I am sorry Varric," he said.

"As am I," Carver offered, "If it is any consolation, his death has released him from the taint, in time it would have consumed him utterly. Death is better than that…trust me."

Varric sighed, Gerav had been there to listen when Bianca had died, and it had been him that suggested that Varric name the bow for her.

It seemed that everyone from his old life was dying or leaving him. It was a depressing thought.

"At least I still have Bianca," he smiled wanly.

"You shall have more than that Master dwarf," Arika said, "You shall have vengeance on the one who has done this to your friend. We shall help you hunt down this bastard, and punish him for playing with the darkspawn taint."

"She is right sweet thing," Isabela grinned, "We'll make these bastards bleed for the man your friend was, before he started drinking darkspawn blood and trying to kill us."

Varric chuckled, his father had destroyed House Tethras, but he could honestly say that he was okay with that now.

He had found a new family of sorts; they were dangerous, ruthless, and utterly loyal to each other.

What more could a dwarf want.

Well, Hawke could find him a cute little rogue just for him, but even if he did, Varric would still compare her to Bianca.

Her face swam up again, bringing a sad sigh to his lips. After all this time…he…he still missed her.

He wished that Hawke could have known her that is father could have known her.

He liked to think that they would have liked her.

He was certain she would have liked them.