Chapter 10
"Shit, has it ever been a busy three weeks," Varric huffed. Hawke, Fenris and himself were sitting around his table in his private apartments at the Hanged Man. "At least it's been very profitable as well."
"If I'm not mistaken, that is what you wanted," Fenris said wryly. "Weren't you the one who said the sooner you saved up the gold, the sooner you could get the expedition to the Deep Roads underway?"
"Well, yes, but still all work and no play makes for a very grumpy dwarf," Varric chuckled. He looked to where Gavin was sitting and noticed the mage didn't seem to be paying attention. "You okay there Hawke? You've been awfully quiet of late."
"I've been thinking about what's been happening around here," the mage answered quietly.
"What do you mean?" Fenris asked, noting that his friend seemed troubled.
"First there's the business with the missing women," Gavin answered. "Whoever was behind it was using blood magic. Then we have the business with the recruits and their being possessed by demons. And there's all those Templars supposedly looking for rogue mages but coming up empty handed all the time."
"Your point being Hawke?" Varric shook his head.
"There's something very wrong in this city," Gavin said firmly. "Blood magic is dangerous and evil, and it's the Templars responsibility to root out such things and deal with them. I have never seen such a proliferation of blood mages and abominations anywhere else. The Templars are harrasing common folk but not turning up any results. I've gotten more results while doing odd jobs than they have. Either the Templar organization here is very incompetant, or they have been infiltrated far more deeply than even Cullen suspects."
"Are you worried about Cullen sending templars after you?" Fenris asked.
"No, I think Cullen is a man of his word," Gavin shook his head. "He promised not to make an issue of my being an apostate as a reward for bringing to light the plot of Tehronne and her minions. However, I think he suspects far more than what he's let on."
"Well, my advice is that you keep your nose out of it," the dwarf warned. "You don't want to give him any reason to change his mind."
"Still, it is disturbing to think about," Fenris said quietly. "I escaped a land where blood magic is used frequently and not always in secret. The idea that the Free Marches could become like Tevinter is scary."
"I hope it won't come to that," Gavin said fervently. "But perhaps Varric is right and I shouldn't stick my nose into things more than I already have. I have managed to live free this long, I wouldn't want to lose that freedom now. It would destroy my mother if I got locked up in the Gallows."
"Well, the expedition is going to put alot of money in your pocket," the dwarf spoke up. "Should be enough to buy back your mother's estate and then some. Then you can begin to build influence with the city's nobility and ruling families. You'll have the money and the power to influence things around here and should be safe enough from the Templars after that."
"Speaking of which, we should have just about enough," Gavin said and getting up, took out his key and opened the strong box to check. "Yeah, there's 48 gold here, plus maybe a couple more in smaller coin," he said after counting it.
"Then all we need is another small job and-," Varric was saying as he looked through his notes but was interrupted by his door being slammed open. Looking up, he saw Aveline storming in and dragging Carver behind her.
"Aveline, what's going on?" Gavin asked coming to his feet to face the guard captain. "And why have you dragged my brother in here?"
"I'll tell you what your little brother has been up to," Aveline snarled and shoved the boy into a chair. "The guard busted one of the smuggler groups that had been dealing in slaves. Luckily for your brother, it was Donnic's patrol and he had the presence of mind to hold Carver seperate from the rest. Otherwise your brother would be sitting in a cell in the Gallows awaiting trial."
"Carver?" Gavin rounded angrily on him. "Explain yourself and don't even think about lying or trying to wiggle your way out of this or I will let Aveline haul your ass to jail."
"They were looking for hired muscle and paying well, I needed the money," Carver sulked.
"I give you a sovereign every week," Gavin yelled. "And I pay for all the expenses at home. What the hell could you need so much money for that you'd work for criminals?"
Carver looked around the room but found no sympathy there. Before he could say anything, however, another voice chimed in.
"I heard that he lost a bunch of coin gambling and they called in the debt," Isabela said as she leaned in the doorway. "He's a terrible card player."
"Is that true Carver? You amassed a debt to a smuggler?" Gavin asked furiously and saw the kid nod. "Andraste's tits Carver, what the hell possessed you to play cards with smugglers?"
"I didn't know who they were," Carver yelled, jumping to his feet.
"I warned you not to bet coin you didn't have," Isabela accused. "I told you that you sucked at cards and you ignored me. This is what happens when boys try to play with the men," she shook her head.
"Aveline, did the guard get the whole ring?" Gavin asked his friend.
"No, the leaders got away," she answsered.
"Which means that they'll come looking for him to collect what he owes," Fenris said heavily.
"How much do you owe them Carver?" Gavin turned to his brother.
"A little over ten sovereigns," he answered and saw everyone staring at him in shock. "I kept thinking my luck would turn around!" he cried, begging for understanding.
Gavin closed his eyes with a groan. There went the money for the expedition. Now he was going to have to find even more jobs to cover the loss. "Isabela, do you think you can find the people Carver owes?"
"Yeah, no problem," the pirate queen shrugged. "Why?"
"When you do, I want you to tell them that I will pay Carver's debt and arrange a meeting with them," the mage told her. He turned to the dwarf, "Varric, we're going to have to find some more jobs, would you look into it for me?"
"Sure Hawke," the dwarf nodded, glaring at the younger sibling.
"What about Carver?" Aveline asked. "I've covered for him a couple times already. I can't keep doing it, Hawke. I'll lose my post and then the entire guard will suffer."
"Don't worry about that," Gavin growled. "He won't be causing you anymore trouble."
"I didn't ask for your help brother, I can handle my own affairs," Carver snapped angrily as he jumped to his feet.
Gavin growled and then hauled off and punched his brother in the face, sending him flying backwards to land on his ass in front of the fire. "You stupid, selfish, little shit! You could have ended up in the Gallows awaiting trial for this stunt you pulled. Smugglers hang for their crimes idiot. If that happened to you what do you think it would do to mother?"
Carver looked away, holding his nose, "I think you broke my nose."
"You're lucky that's all that I broke," Gavin growled. "I've had it with your petulance and your childish behavior. I'm taking you home and I'm going to tell mother about this."
"You can't do that!" Caver complained, getting to his feet.
"You've left me no choice Carver," Gavin shouted angrily. "You've done nothing but whine and complain about everything since the day we arrived in this city. You've made no effort to help mother or me with keeping a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and clothes on our backs. You've taken no responsibility for yourself or your actions. Now, because of you, I'm going to have to push back the expedition to the Deep Roads. I can't trust you to stay out of trouble so I'm going to have to tell mother and Gamlen to keep an eye on you. She's going to want to know why."
"You can't treat me like a prisoner brother," Carver said furiously.
"My patience is at an end Carver," he retorted. "It's either this or the Gallows. I promise you, I will turn you over myself and deal with mother after the fact." He waited for Carver to say something else but the boy simply glared and then turned his back to him.
"Fenris, I want you to come with us, just in case we run into trouble along the way," Gavin turned to the elf.
"Of course Hawke," the elf nodded. He approved of Hawke's decision and let him know that. "I know you don't want to do this, but it is the best for all concerned."
"Let's go Caver," Gavin motioned his brother to the door.
Isabela stepped aside and then shook her head when Carver cast a pleading look her way. She liked the kid, but she wasn't about to cross Hawke in this matter. She learned long ago not to get involved in personal family matters. "Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you something."
"What a mess," Varric sighed after the three men had left.
"Hey, the kid brought it on himself," Isabela shrugged. "Look, I can ask around and see if anyone's got an odd job or two that Hawke can handle."
"Yeah, that'd be a big help," the dwarf nodded. "Even with all the trouble makers in this city, there ain't exactly a shit load of jobs now. Hawke's done a pretty good job cleaning up some of the messes."
"So, what's going on between him and the elf?" the pirate queen asked as she took a seat at the table.
"What do you mean?" Varric looked up in surprise.
"You haven't noticed the way those two have been looking at each other lately?" Isabela smirked. "I've suspected for a long time that Hawke was in to men, and I think that he's got the hots for Fenris."
"Huh, you would be the one to notice such things," Varric smirked at her.
"Well, I think we should keep an eye on the situation," she stated matter of factly. "I think they'd make a cute couple, don't you?"
"Isabela, don't go there, please," the dwarf held up his hands. "Now scoot, I got work to do."
"Fine, fine, but this conversation is not finished," Isabela laughed and left.
Varric shook his head, muttering about humans and their damn complications. He only hoped that this whole mess with Carver didn't put them back to much. Time was running out.