Denerim was unlike any other city I had ever been in, but it was like any other city I'd read about in fantasy books. The very center of the city was teeming with life with people bartering for goods and other services.
Cayne took me, Alistair, Morrigan, Ashley, and Leliana into Denerim, leaving the dogs, Wynne, Zev, and Sten to wait for us outside the city.
"Do you think we will have time to go into the market before we leave?" Leliana asked.
"I'm sure Cayne will want to stock up on potions." I assured her.
"I remember I bought a confection of spun sugar here once. It got stuck in my hair. Made it hard to comb out but it was very tasty for a few days." I laughed.
"Spun sugar?" I asked. "Like cotton candy?"
"Is that what you call it in your world?" I nodded. For a moment, I stole a look at Ashley and caught her looking at us. Her eyes looked sad in the moment before she turned away.
We searched the streets of Denerim before we came upon an old house that a stranger pointed us to. This was Brother Genitivi's house. It was made of wood, but it was large. He must have been a very successful scholar to have a house like this in the city.
"This is Brother Genitivi's house." Alistair said. "Should we knock?" Cayne knocked on the door and after a few minutes, a young man answered.
"Hello, we're looking for Brother Genitivi." Cayne said, obviously not comfortable talking with humans in a human city. The young man looked about at the rest of us.
"Are you all his friends?" He asked.
"We just have some questions for him. Is he around?"
"Please, come inside." He beckoned us inside and shut the door behind us. The house itself was very luxurious and well decorated from relics, rugs, and tapestries that I didn't recognize at all. I turned back to the young man that let us in. "Now, what is this about Brother Genitivi?"
"We need to speak with him about his work looking for the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Is he here?" Alistair asked this and when he did, the man's face changed from curiosity to concern.
"I'm sorry, friends. Brother Genitivi hasn't been home in days. My name is Weylon, I'm his assistant."
"Where is Genitivi, Weylon?" I asked.
"He last told me that his search for the Urn of Sacred Ashes took him to the Lake Calenhad Docks. If he is not there, surely someone could point you in a direction."
"Did a group of knights from Redcliffe come asking for him?" I asked. I watched his face falter slightly and I raised my eyebrow at him.
"Yes, a few. I told them the same thing I told you just now. They never came back, though. I fear that they have fallen to ill-fortune and that perhaps Brother Genitivi has also fallen to ill-fortune."
"Thank you for the info. We should be on our way." I looked between Cayne and Alistair.
"Right." Alistair said looking at me with an uncertain look on his face.
We took our leave and walked back outside.
"Was it just me or did that guy seem really sketchy to you?" I asked.
"We should be careful with his information, it's the only lead we've got," said Cayne. "Do we have anymore business in the city?"
"I would still like to see my sister if we can." Alistair said meekly.
"Your sister?" I asked.
"Ah, yes. I was telling Cayne that not only am I a bastard, but I have a sister who lives here in Denerim. Well, she's my half sister but still."
"Of course we can see your sister." I said genuinely excited for him. Alistair had a sibling that he was missing all these years and I was more than willing to help him find her. "Do you know where she lives?"
"I had someone look her up for me so I do have the address. She lives back near the market."
"We should get going then," Cayne suggested and we began walking back in the direction of the market. I walked beside Alistair to talk to him.
"Do you know anything about your sister?"
"Not really. I just know that we have the same mother. I don't even know if she knows I exist." He looked down as if in thought.
"What's wrong Alistair?" I asked him.
"I'm just nervous. I don't even think she'll recognize me. What if she doesn't want to see me?" I hadn't thought about that part, but he was right. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she had been told something different about Alistair?
"Well, whatever happens, you have Cayne and I beside you," I offered.
"Will you want us to accompany you inside her house, Alistair?" Cayne asked this. Alistair though about it for a minute and then smiled weakly.
"I would appreciate that, actually. Thank you both."
We walked further down the road to the market when Alistair stopped us in front of a much smaller house than Genitivi's. This one was more rundown. It reminded me of the poorer parts of Seattle.
"That's… my sister's house. I'm almost sure of it, this is… yes. This is the right address. She could be inside." He was starting to babble, something I noticed that he did when he got nervous.
"Would you like to knock?" I asked him.
"You seem nervous, Alistair," Cayne said.
"Do I seem a little nervous? I am. I really don't know what to expect. Are you sure you two are willing to come in?" I smiled.
"We wouldn't have offered if we weren't sure," I said.
"Or we could… leave. I suppose. We really don't have time to pay a visit, do we? Maybe we should go." He was chickening out when Cayne stepped in.
"Let's see if she's here," he said.
"Will she even know who I am? Does she even know I exist? My sister. That sounds very strange…"
"Alistair." I stopped him.
"Right, now I'm babbling. Let's just… go. Let's go."
The others decided to go off into the market while we went to Goldanna's with a promise that we would meet up later. After they left, we knocked and a small child came and answered the door. A meek and shy girl with straw hair.
"Is Goldanna in?" I asked her. She silently beckoned us inside.
Inside the house was a mess. Dirty and clean laundry were everywhere and four other young kids were running around. Just as I was starting to get a good feel of the place, a woman with straw colored hair that matched the little girl came out. If you looked closer, you could see her gray hairs starting to form.
"You have linens to wash?" She asked. "I charge three bits on a bundle, you won't find better. And don't trust what that Natalia woman tells you either, she's foreign and she'll rob you blind." This was Alistair's sister? I supposed it made sense seeing as he was a bastard and she also was coming from humble beginnings.
"I'm not here to have any wash done." Alistair stumbled over his words. "My name is Alistair. I'm… well, this may sound sort of strange, but are you Goldanna? If so, I suppose I'm your brother." He went the blunt route and I was thankful for it. Otherwise, we might have been here all day.
"My what?" She said in disbelief. "I am Goldanna, yes… how do you know my name? What kind of tomfoolery are you folk up to?" Here we go.
"He's telling you the truth, just listen to him," Cayne said.
"Look," Alistair spoke steadily now, "our mother… she was a servant in Redcliffe Castle a long time ago, before she died. Do you know about that? She—." Goldanna cut him off there.
"You! I knew it! They told me you was dead! They told me the babe was dead along with mother, but I knew hey was lying!" Alistair looked taken aback.
"They told you I was dead? Who? Who told you that?"
"Thems at the castle! I told them the babe was the king's, and they said he was dead. Gave me a coin to shut my mouth and sent me on my way! I knew it!" I couldn't tell if she was excited that she was right or angry that we were here. Alistair began to falter.
"I'm sorry, I… didn't know that. The babe didn't die. I'm him; I'm… your brother." Goldanna scoffed at him her face more irritated than angry.
"For all the good it does me! You killed Mother, you did, and I've had to scrape by all this time? That coin didn't last long and when I went back, they ran me off!"
"That's not Alistair's fault," I said. She then turned to me.
"And who in the Maker's name are you? Some tart following after his riches, I expect? And you," she turned to Cayne, "no doubt one of his servant elves following his master?" I opened my mouth to say something I would have probably regretted, but Alistair got his word in before I did.
"Hey! Don't talk to them like that! They're my friends, and Grey Wardens at that! Just like me!" Goldanna was thoroughly unimpressed.
"Ahhh, I see. A prince and a Grey Warden, too. Well, who am I to think poorly of someone so high and mighty compared to me?" She shook her head and gave Alistair a look that could have been pure violence. "I don't know you, boy. Your royal father forced himself on my mother and took her away from me, and what do I got to show for it? Nothing. They tricked me good! I should have told everyone! I've got five mouths to feed, and unless you can help me with that, I got less than no use for you." Alistair looked down on the ground, refusing to look at Goldanna.
"I… I'm sorry, I… I don't know what else to say…" I started to get angry. This woman only wanted money from Alistair. Money that he didn't have. She was so willing to kick him to the curb if he wasn't going to help her. I got it, though. She was trying to survive. This woman just wanted to feed her kids and give them a good life.
"It looks like she only wants you money, Alistair," Cayne said as if he had read my mind. His Dalish origin had made him cynical to the way humans worked but he wasn't wrong.
"Yes, it sure seems that way," Alistair said, "I didn't expect… I'm starting to wonder why we came."
"I'm not sure why you came either," Goldanna said. "Whatever you aim to find, you won't find it here. Now get out of my house! All of you!" I took Alistair by the arm, I wasn't sure what else we could say.
"Come on, bud. Let's get out of here." Alistair said nothing as we walked out of the house together. When we were back out in the street, Alistair was staring down at the ground in thought. He finally spoke.
"Well, that was… not what I expected. To put it lightly." He looked back at the house. "This is the family I've been wondering about all my life? That shrew is my sister? I can't believe it." He sighed. "I guess I was expecting her to accept me without question. Isn't that what family is supposed to do? I… I feel like a complete idiot."
"You're not an idiot, Alistair." I said. "You needed to know." I looked back at the house, then back to him. "She's just out here surviving. Perhaps she's angry that you've had everything growing up and she had nothing? The poor never trust the privileged. She's still your sister, though. Don't give up so easily, maybe she'll come around. And if she doesn't, you have us."
"I'm sorry it worked out this way, Alistair." Cayne offered. Alistair looked between the both of us and smiled.
"Thank you, you both have given me a lot to think about. Let's go find the others in the market. And, thank you for coming with me."
"Of course, Alistair." I said. "What are friends for?" The three of us walked together through the market looking for our friends. "Can we stay in the city for a bit longer?" I asked Cayne. "I've never been to a city like this." Cayne laughed.
"Sure, we can stay for a bit, but we have to get back on the road tomorrow." I smiled.
"Then we should meet at camp tonight. I want to go exploring." Cayne looked over at Alistair and nodded.
"We'll meet you and the other back and camp, then." And so I disappeared into the marketplace so that I could start looking around for the others. I assumed that Cayne and Alistair would find Morrigan, but I wanted to find Leliana.
I searched the crowds for a head of fiery red hair until I found her looking at some jewelry. Her back was to me and I just thought it would be fun to scare her. I crept up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. Before I could even say anything, her arm swung up and around as if to strike me square in the jaw. Fortunately for my face, I caught her wrist.
"Whoa! Leliana, it's just me!" I looked into her soft blue eyes and they changed from being frightened, to remorse.
"I'm so sorry, C.J.! I had thought…" She drifted off.
"Are you okay?" I asked after I put her arm down. She looked around us as if she thought someone was watching us. She didn't answer me. "Do you want to get out of here?"
"No, no," she said. "I'll be okay, I'm just nervous."
"I'll stay with you then. So you're not alone." She smiled.
"I would like that."
"Not like you would have to twist my arm for it," I said, "I was going to stick with you anyway. Do you know what Ashley went?"
"She went this way, I think." We walked together, knowing we were not alone. Leliana's behavior made me feel like we were being watched. I didn't know who had malicious intent and who didn't. Out of either habit or the need for comfort, I took her hand and walked with her. I interlocked my fingers with hers and walked close to her while we made our way through.
"Are you sure you're alright, Leliana?" I asked her. She laughed.
"I think I should be asking you that." She regarded my hand in hers. "It's not like you to be so willing to touch me outside of camp."
"It's crowded here!" I said indignantly. "I don't want to get lost!" She smirked.
"Sure, darling." I blushed when she called me that.
"Look, there's Ash." I saw Ashley looking at books at a market booth. "Hey!" I called to her. She looked up at me and smiled, but then I watched her look at Leliana and then down at our joined hands. She stopped smiling and then looked back at my face as if she thought I didn't notice. I let go of Leliana.
"How did it go with Alistair's sister?" I sucked in air through my teeth. Ash's brows furrowed. "That bad?" I nodded.
"Probably worse than you think." She giggled a bit. I smiled. "We're meeting them back at camp tonight, do you want to look around with us?" I didn't expect her to say yes. She looked between Leliana and I with a sense of sadness in her eyes. She was watching me move on right in front of her and I know it hurt her. Ashley always had this habit of letting her emotions show for the faintest moment before sucking it all in again and powering through. I knew she was upset, and she knew that I knew she was upset, but she'd be damned if she'd let Leliana see it.
"Sure! Let's go look for some potion supplies. Morrigan was going to teach me about brewing."
We all walked together in the Denerim market and for a moment, it felt like we were at peace with each other. Like we were just living. For a moment I forgot about the outside world and the places our quest would take us.
For a moment, I forgot that our journey was going to challenge everything I knew about the world around me.