Hawke lay on Bethany's bed while her sister's hands hovered above her, glowing with blue healing magic. Anders had taught her the spell that he intended to use on his patient, eliminating multiple trips to Darktown.
"That feels way better," Hawke sighed, feeling some of the residual swelling lessen under the curative touch of her sibling.
"You're looking so much better too, you know. Most of your bruises are gone, and you're almost back to full mobility. You are, aren't you? You're not just putting on a face for me?"
Hawke donned a look of mock insult. "Me? Pretend to be healthy? Never!"
"You could be throwing up from food poisoning in front of everyone and still try to make us all think you're just swell," the mage chuckled, pulling her hands away. "Carver always tried to pull it off the way you did!"
"And he would only make himself sicker," the rogue finished with a grin. Do you remember the time he convinced Mother that he was well enough to go to combat training, and he passed out! And Father was furious!"
"I remember that he made Carver stay in bed for the rest of the time he was ill, and wouldn't use any healing magic just as punishment!"
"Lucky for him, he rode that fever out really fast. If he stayed in bed much longer, I think he'd have gone completely mad."
"I'm the reason he recovered so quickly," the mage replied, a big grin splashed across her young face.
"Beth! You healed him?"
"I felt so bad for him. We swore we wouldn't tell anyone, and I also made him do my washing for a week as thanks!"
"No wonder you were so smug! And Father? He didn't suspect a thing?"
"His dear, sweet, baby Bethany go against her beloved father? Goodness no!"
"I miss those days in Lothering. Things were easier then..."
"I'd like to tell you that maybe we can go back some day, but I know that will never be. Don't worry, Sister. Once we go on this Deep Roads expedition, everything will change. Just you wait and see."
"Speaking of the expedition, did anyone go to Hubert since the... Incident?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, that means I've coin to collect. I'm going to go and get everyone who was with me just in case Hubert doesn't believe me." The two of them exited the little bedroom, fully dressed for a day of adventure.
"Am I coming with you?" Bethany looked expectantly at her sister.
"I'm afraid you're not going out with Marian today," Leandra said, looking at her children. "You promised that you would go into Lowtown with me today to pick up new fabric, knitting needles that aren't crooked and other things that we need."
"Oh!" she replied, clapping her hands to her mouth. "I forgot! I'm so sorry, Mother! I guess I will see you later today, Sister. Good luck with Hubert."
Hawke gave them both a hug and swift kiss goodbye before heading out to the Hanged Man. She walked in and saw Isabela at a table with several other men; they were all playing diamond back, and the pirate clearly had the most winnings. The rogue knew precisely why as well.
She walked up to their table just as the Rivaini was pulling all the coins in the pot toward her. Hawke noticed her slipping a card into the lip of one of her boots. She snuck right up behind the cheating woman, a small smile danced on her lips.
"Swindling helpless men out of their coin again, Bela?" Hawke purred into the duelist's ear.
Isabela stirred slightly, glancing over her shoulder. "How else is a woman to make a living around here?"
"Ask Aveline," the rogue teased. "She seems to have it down."
"Please, that woman is not living. We're getting her a night at the Rose for her birthday. Speaking of which," she picked up a sovereign from her little pile of winnings. "Here's what I owe you."
"Owe me for what?" Hawke took to the coin regardless.
"For the other night. You ran out on me after telling me to sleep with a prostitute. I did, by the way. Osric is good for angry sex, among other things..."
"Yeah, sorry about that. It just wasn't..."
"I get it, Hawke. But you're an infuriating tease, you know that?"
Hawke giggled. "Are you done with your game? I'm going to see Hubert, and I want you there."
"Why is it that the only times you 'want' me, are when we're out in public. Although... I'm always up for trying-" But she was cut short by letting out an exasperated little gasp and dragging the horny woman out of her chair.
"We need to get Fenris and Aveline too. I want everyone who was there to be with me."
"Do I get a drink from this?"
"Maker! There's no winning with you, is there?" The two women left the tavern to head for Hightown together.
They stopped by the barracks first, and Aveline was more than willing to take any excuse to get away from all the political drivel she was being put through in preparation for her captaincy.
The trio entered the mansion, Isabela looking around distastefully at the shabby state of the estate. They found the elf sitting in the main study, poring over a book that Hawke had given him.
She was teaching him how to read, and had gotten him a book of children's nursery rhymes for him to start out with. His brow was knit together in concentration while his large, hazel eyes stared intently at individual words. Hawke smiled at the hardened warrior reading through a picture book.
"How is it coming?"
Fenris was in no way startled by their sudden appearance. "It's getting a little bit easier, but I'll be glad for a break. What can I do for you, Hawke?"
"Maybe you should look into getting a woman's touch for this place? It's a bit of a turn-off," Isabela offered.
"And I suppose that you would like to pick up a broom? You are a woman, after all," the elf responded coolly.
"Only if it's to help dust you off," she winked. "I could polish your armor until it shines like a lonely housewife after a good orgasm!"
"I think I'll pass." The Rivaini mocked disappointment.
"Okay then. If that's all settled, I would like you to come with me to see Hubert. He still owes me."
"Very well. Let's be off."
The walk from Fenris' mansion was brief, and they found themselves at Hubert's stall in no time. He looked pleased to see them, but knew something was up. His eyes did not miss the way Hawke's armor hung more loosely upon her body, or the sunken look in her face.
"I solved your problem," she stated matter-of-factly.
"So, what happened? One of the miners said you rescued him from dragons! I cuffed him for lying!"
"Well, he wasn't." The images of the beasts flashed through her mind. "Go there and see the corpses for yourself." There was no trace of humor in the rogue's voice.
"But... I thought they were extinct? I believe you!" He read the woman's expression, knowing that there was no lie to her words. "You made them extinct again? If it is safe, the miners can return to work."
"I bet their first task will be cleaning up the entrails the last shift left behind." She hoped her joke wasn't too morbid, but the look on Hubert's face told her that she failed.
"A dragon-killer and a mind-reader. Wonderful. Let us discuss your payment." Finally, they got to the reason Hawke was there. "You have been a great help. Since you have done so much more than I was expecting, how about we work together?"
The woman's brow rose in astonishment. She was really just hoping for a sack of gold, not a business proposal. However, she remembered that Varric said he played fair, and paid well. Multiple sacks of gold would be much better than just one.
"I offer you a fifty-fifty share in the mine. You will make us both rich if you can keep your countrymen safe."
"Seems like the miners could use protection. And an advocate." Hubert was one of the few in Kirkwall that hired Fereldans. It wasn't so long ago that she was in the same position they were. Working in a mine was dangerous, but coin was coin. She wanted to keep her kinsmen safe, and employed.
"Now, to our first order of business," he began, talking to her now as an equal, and not just a hireling. "We replace the lost workers. I will hire new hands. Plenty of desperate Fereldans out there, but it will take some time. I need you to convince the surviving miners to return. They are holed up in Lowtown. Tell them the Bone Pit is safe again."
"I'll see what I can do." He dropped a small coin purse into her hand, and they parted with a nod.
"Wow. You just gained partial ownership of a mine, Hawke." Isabela looked disappointed despite what she said.
"What's wrong, Bela? Jealous?"
"Of the mine that almost killed you? Hell no. How much did he give you?"
Aveline scowled at the pirate. "Are the only things that you think about are money and sex?"
"No. I like to think about when I can get drunk again too! I'm not that shallow."
"He paid me nine sovereigns, Bela. That's three for each of you."
"You're not keeping any?" Fenris looked curiously at his companion.
"I just got a mine. I think that's payment enough, don't you? However, three sovereigns for each of you is not. I owe my life to all three of you. You will all be getting a share of my pay from this partnership."
"Hawke," Aveline started. "I couldn't. Your life-"
"Shut up and take the money, Big Girl!"
"Don't ever tell me what to do, you whore!"
"Do men find your dominance a turn on? Or are they just too scared of you to protest?"
Aveline balls her fists tightly, nothing but pure venom in her eyes. Isabela stood her ground, casual as ever, but Hawke noticed her feet shift subtly, gaining a defensive position.
"For the love of the Maker!" Hawke cried. "Just take the money, Ave! And if you really don't want it, Isabela and Fenris will take your share."
"I don't need it. I have a decent enough pay."
"Will you at least use what you made here to go to the Rose, Big Girl? I'm sure they won't mind your man-hands."
"Isabela, knock it off!"
"Whatever you say, Hawke. And if you're ever looking for a way to thank me properly, you know exactly how to repay me," Isabela said, sauntering up to her fellow rogue. "You know where to find me." She moved past her, heading for Lowtown.
"We'll talk to the workers tomorrow," Hawke said to Fenris and Aveline. "I've got some business I need to take care of."
She set off purposefully to the Red Lantern District. Isabela had a nasty way of winding her up, and Hawke knew her mother and sister wouldn't be done for hours. She walked into the brothel; the powerful scent of incense, alcohol and roasted meats hit her. She knew exactly what she wanted, and was completely willing to pay for it.
Katriella was a lovely redheaded elven girl. Hawke had utilized her services on several occasions, and she never felt dissatisfied after. The prostitute was one of Madame Lusine's best, so Hawke paid gold for the girl.
"Shit, Hawke, what had you so bothered? Usually you're not this...ah...urgent."
"If you didn't like it, your moans told me otherwise."
"Maker, no! Your touch always delights my senses. You were just a little more aggressive than usual."
"Thank you, Kat. I'll see you around," she smiled to the woman.
"You own a what?"
"I a mine, Mother. And I don't own all of it, just half of it! This is a pretty lucrative offer! You know we need all the coin we can get. Not to mention, Hubert hires Fereldans. If I help him keep it up and running, it means that our fellow refugees are being paid. I even got him to double their wages!"
"It's done, and I've no further say in this matter."
"I know you're not happy about this, but-"
"Not happy? When did I say I wasn't happy? It's just... Sudden. I never dreamed of this happening."
Hawke laughed, "Neither did I!"
"I can't believe that you, Sister, are in a business relationship now. Aveline must be so proud that you're doing something legitimate for once!"
"Ha. Ha, Beth. Hey, we haven't seen Merrill in a while; want to see if she'd like to go to the coast with us? We can bring Mangy! He likes her stories."
"Why not?" the mage shrugged.
"Oh, Mother, Varric said that he would probably be by this afternoon to drop off documents for the expedition."
"Thank you, dear. Have fun with Merrill, and give her my best."
It was an unusually nice day in Kirkwall, light and breezy. Mangy bounced about their heels, all slobbery and excited. They could feel Autumn crisping the air a little, and there was no shortage of work for farm hands because the harvest season was beginning.
Some of the leaves on massive tree in the center of the alienage were beginning to turn a violent shade of red. None of the elves seemed to want to be indoors, and they were all visiting with each other, selling their wares and generally enjoying the day. Except for the Dalish mage. She was definitely outside anywhere.
The two sisters made a beeline for the girl's shack, knocking lightly. They heard what sounded like a chair crashing to the ground, a mouse squeaking and something shattering. The squeak was unmistakably Merrill's. The poor girl was still so unaccustomed to visitors and social practices in general.
The door swung open to reveal the beaming face of the little elf. Her huge green eyes sparkled with joy and surprise. "Hawke, Bethany! You've come to visit! Please, come in!"
She dashed ahead of them, quickly picking up the fallen chair they heard earlier. A shattered goblet lay strewn across table and floor. A wave of her delicate hand repaired it in seconds, but Mangy nearly broke it in his attempt to greet her.
"Can I get you anything? Water? Stale bread? Oh, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned the stale part..."
"Actually, we were wondering if you wanted to go to the Wounded Coast? It's a lovely day," Bethany offered.
"Oh, thank the Creators! I would love to. My house is such a mess, and it would be wonderful to not have you in this filth."
"This is nothing, Merrill. You should have seen Gamlen's when we first moved in," Hawke laughed. "It was such a pig-sty! Do you remember, Beth?"
"I think I'm still trying to get the smell out of my robes! And the look on Mother's face! I thought she was going to slap Uncle Gamlen!"
The three girls giggled before Merrill set about putting her books away and gathering her things for their trip to the coast. She was positively beaming with delight at being asked to accompany her friends on a walk. She was almost as isolated as Fenris, though for completely different reasons.
They exited the little home, taking in the fresh air once more; however, a strange sight met their eyes. A weeping elven woman was pleading with a Templar. Their conversation wasn't hard to overhear, and from the sound of it, the weeping woman's son was an apostate. The Templar seemed as though he was trying to help the woman and her boy, not mercilessly hunt and destroy. He offered an apology and left for the Gallows.
"Can we help her?" Bethany looked at her sister. "This could have been me."
"Beth, this could involve a lot more Templars. Are you sure you want to get into this?"
"I know the risks, Sister I'm smart enough not to go around shouting that I'm an apostate."
"That would be a terrible idea! I wonder why anyone would do that?" Merrill quipped. The two sisters turned to look at her. "Oh, that was sarcasm again, wasn't it? We should help that boy. He could be in a lot of danger from more than just mage hunters."
Hawke looked at the two faces staring back at her. Both looked determined, and she knew that she could not turn away from this plight. She knew just how much protecting fellow mages meant to her sister.
"It sounds like your son is in trouble," Hawke said gently to the elf. "Is there anything I can do?"
"You... You heard all of that, and still you would help? An apostate? Oh, thank you! I am Arianni. My boy, Feynriel, he's all I have, all my family! When I learned he had had magic, I could not bear to send him to the Circle." She spoke with the same strange accent that Merrill had. This woman was Dalish, but why was she not with her clan?
"But his connection to the Fade, it gives him nightmares... Dreams of demons speaking in his mind. I would rather lose him to the Circle than to himself." Her words hung heavy with sadness and defeat.
"What exactly do you need me to do?" Hawke knew that helping Arianni and her son was right thing to do.
"Just find him, please. Bring him somewhere safe. I do not know where Feynriel has gone, but there are two places you could start your search. Ser Thrask is in the Gallows. If you speak to him, he'll be able to tell you what ground he's already covered, and Feynriel's father, Vincento, recently returned from Antiva. He's a merchant in the Lowtown Bazaar. Feynriel might have sought him out."
"I will not leave you fearful for a moment longer than necessary."
"Magic can be a fearful gift," Bethany said sorrowfully. "Your son deserves the best aid in learning how to manage it."
"Thank you. It has been a lonely time hiding. It's almost a relief to confront it openly."
"Where should we start?" Hawke asked the two mages.
"I would think the father," Merrill started. "A boy wants to know the man he is born of."
"Let's go to him before we go to the Templar," Bethany stated.
"You don't have to come, Beth. No one will blame you for keeping your distance from this one."
"No. I want to help. What if this was Mother!"
"I understand. Is there anyone else we should bring? Anders might know where apostates run to."
"No, don't bring him. It will get too personal for him. Besides, this is a precarious enough situation as is. What if Justice comes out?"
"I agree with your sister, Hawke."
"Varric, then? He always has his ear to the ground, and Bianca's never afraid to get her hands dirty. He also knows the merchants better than anyone; he could be an asset when dealing with Vincento."
It didn't take long to get to the tavern where the merchant prince housed himself. Isabela wasn't there when they walked in, not that it mattered to Hawke where the pirate might be occupying herself. Varric was in his suite, nursing an ale and reading an obscenely long scroll.
"Hawke! Just the sort of diversion a dwarf needs! Sunshine, Daisy." He nodded to the two women. "Doing well I hope? Not getting too lost any more?"
"Oh, not so much, and that ball of twine was a life saver, Varric. The kittens seem to like it too!"
"I'm sure they do, Daisy. What can I do for you ladies?"
"We're looking for a boy. Human-blooded elf called Feynriel. He's an apostate, and he ran away from his mother."
"I can see how that would be of interest to you." His sharp eyes darted to the two mages. "Where do I come in?"
"We're going to see if he sought out his father. He abandoned the boy when he was just a babe. He's an Antivan merchant here in Lowtown."
"Let me guess, you're looking for Vincento?"
"I suppose there aren't many vendors from Antiva here, are there?"
"Always so sharp, Hawke."
"What do you know about him?"
"Nothing particularly good. He's fairly smarmy, even for a Lowtown merchant. He'll swindle anyone he can, and he doesn't barter fairly. You'd think people would just go to another stall, but the man's just charming enough that they fork over their coin. He will be tricky to deal with. I'll come along."
"I knew you would. Searching for potentially dangerous apostates must make for a good story."
"Not to mention a dwarf can stare at cost reports and supply charts for only so long. Bianca was starting to get bored."
"Let's not keep her waiting."
Varric led them straight to Vincento's stall. It was clear that none of his goods were of any decent quality. He probably picked them up used, or from piles of refuse and makes his money selling them for far more than they are worth.
"Greetings, my lady," he said in an overly sweet voice further honeyed by the accent of his home country. "You look like a woman who would appreciate the finest rubies from Antiva gracing her lovely neck!" Hawke suppressed the urge to vomit. "I bring only the best northern merchandise to the Free Marches." Hawke suppressed a second urge to burst out laughing.
"Actually, I'm more interested in your son," she replied pleasantly.
"My lady, I am a bachelor! I have never met a woman of sufficient beauty and charm to tie Vincento down!" And you never will, the rogue thought.
"Please, Serrah," Bethany began. "I know you must fear for Feynriel, but we mean him no harm."
"Hmph! Hard to tell in this city who means who no harm, eh?" His charming facade was starting to slip.
"Perhaps you can set his mind at ease," Hawke said confidently to her sister.
Bethany stepped closer to the man, her hands illuminating with bright blue magic for the briefest of moments. "You'll find no better friend to a young, scared mage." She stepped back beside her sibling.
Vincento swore in his native tongue. "You're a mage! I suppose you'd be kind, then, to a boy who resists being taken in by Templars?"
"Of course," Bethany replied gently.
"The boy is in over his head, so I sent him to the only man I know who doesn't despise mages: a former Templar named Samson."
"Why would a templar help him?"
"His conscience plagues him, having served the Templars too long. He now helps mages on the run. He stays out of sight during the day. At night, he stays near Darktown. That's the best place to find him."
Hawke thanked him for his cooperation, and they left his stall. "Beth, go home now."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I don't want you involved in this. That man, Samson, he could be a trap. I don't want you within fifty feet of him."
The mage pulled her sister away from their two friends. "What about Merrill? I don't see you telling her to go away," she said hotly.
"That girl is not my sister! I have no right to tell her not to come, but you-"
"Stop! Stop trying to protect me, Marian!"
"I CANNOT LOSE YOU!" Hawke exploded, tears spilling out of her eyes. "Not... Not after carver... I can't, Bethany. I'm not strong enough. Mother is not strong enough." People were now staring at the weeping woman gripping her sister by her delicate shoulders.
Hawke felt tender, warm hands cupping her face. Their gentle pressure brought her eyes up to meet the saddened ones of her little sibling. Thumbs lightly wiped away the hot tears that had splashed down her cheeks. Not a moment later did she embrace Bethany as tightly as she could without choking the poor girl.