Author's Notes: Hi everyone! Here as promised about a week later is the next chapter to the story. I do have some great news! As I've been working on this story pretty feverishly since I moved, I've almost completed it. I've already written the ending (I've known how the story would end for months) and am just now trying to play catch up between the chapter I'm on and that chapter, which are about one to two apart. Don't worry, though! This story has a good additional ten chapters left before it ends. :) Whoo!

Zeeji: Oh dear, college house hunting, huh? That's always exhausting. I remember my parents going with me, I felt so bad because they weren't any more familiar with the places than I was. LOL. You'll find Thayer struggles with this family concept in a multitude of ways as the story progresses!

Gatorsnacks: I'll have to check it out or at least read about it-I'm a console gamer so I don't do mods typically. I like the idea that someone else was intrigued by reversing the taint, though. I can't have been the only one! haha!

All righty, peeps! Please enjoy! As always, lemme know what you think. :)

Thayer heeded Anders' advice and avoided Garrett that evening. Under the watchful eyes of Alistair he drank himself stupid, and fully regretted it the following morning, waking up with a painful ache coursing through his body. Once he ate a small breakfast and managed to sit up for a while, he began to feel a little bit better.

Unfortunately, he couldn't stop thinking about the news.

A family.

Thayer had grown up knowing that he would never see his parents again. Nobody did when they moved into the Circle. This, however, was still a shock to his system.

He'd spent the first six years of his life with his mother and father in a small village just outside of Redcliffe. He could recall random memories that involved the two of them, but they all involved more feelings than visuals. His parents felt like ghosts of his past, whose images he could barely muster up. Though he would always love them, he had never gotten to really know them.

He remembered the day he got the news of his parents' passing. It was just a month or so before he underwent his Harrowing. A thief had broken into his childhood home and killed both of his parents while they slept, raiding the place for any valuables. He could recall the pain he'd felt that day, brief though it had been. The Circle had taught him how to process his feelings and channel them. He supposed it was the boost of focus that came with their deaths that helped him succeed in his Harrowing. He couldn't be sure.

This was the kind of news he would have trouble processing without a few outbursts. He'd lived the last few years under the impression that he was the only surviving Amell in his family. What upset him the most was how childish and selfish the thought was, and how his parents had planted it in his head. Neither his father nor his mother had ever informed him of any family. Could he blame himself? How was he supposed to know they were out there? It wasn't as if he could go searching for them, trapped in the Circle Tower as he was.

Alistair must have felt this way when he found out about his sister. Discovering you had family when before you'd grown used to being alone was apparently yet another thing they had in common.

The warrior had been kind enough not to push him that day. Thayer spent the vast majority of the morning and afternoon in their room, only emerging at dusk, when the sun had finally begun to disappear. Bright light still made Thayer's eyes smart.

For the first time since the news broke Alistair decided to breech the subject. They were sitting in one of the corner rooms on the second floor of the Hanged Man.

"So…when do you think you'll speak with this Garrett Hawke?"

"Whenever, I suppose. I realize now I never asked Anders where he was staying…nor did he offer up the information. At this point I feel as if he'll have to approach me. Do you reckon Anders told him about me?"

"I think he probably kept it a secret that you're related, but I'm sure he told Hawke how he knows you. Can't imagine someone like Hawke would let that remain a secret."

"He was intense, wasn't he?"

"Yes. And you know, I've seen him around the Hanged Man before. I just never spoke to him. Or anyone, really. Every once in a while he'd be accompanied by Anders…and you know what I think of him." Alistair took a drink of water, making a face. "I didn't try speaking to either of them."

Thayer simply nodded. Things would likely never simmer down between Anders and Alistair. At some point he would talk privately with the other mage to understand why he left. He was still not over the anger he'd felt in reading that letter for the first time. But without it, he would have had absolutely no lead on where to find Alistair. Almost like a give and take.

As he sipped carefully at his water, Thayer glanced across the way into the other corner rooms. Inside sat a blond dwarf with a few other men. They seemed to be playing cards, but he couldn't recognize the game. Maybe it was some special one they played in the Free Marches.

He heard an uproar of laughter as one of the men suddenly stood up. It was the one whose back was to the open archway, and who suddenly turned to throw his cards at the table before him. Though Thayer had only seen Hawke's face briefly, he recognized him immediately.

"He's here now," Thayer said. "Just across the way."

"Well. It's fate, isn't it?"

That was a dry response. The mage eyed his companion, then turned his attention back to the other room. He really didn't want to talk tonight, but he didn't know if this opportunity would present itself again any time soon.

"I'll be right back."

Thayer hesitated briefly before getting up. He had dealt with significantly more than most dealt with in a lifetime, and yet, he was anxious about this. There was irony in this somewhere…

As he approached the room, one of the men sitting at the table quickly got up and headed for the exit. This drew the other men's attention, and three sets of eyes fell upon him, including Hawke's.

"Ah…" Hawke, who was just about to sit down, lifted himself back up again and came to stand in front of Thayer. They were nearly the same height, but Hawke had a bigger build—much like Alistair's. "I was wondering when I would see you, Warden-Commander."

Hearing that formal title on his cousin's lips seemed strange. He felt compelled to tell him he was being overly polite, but in truth, he wasn't. They didn't know each other. He was being respectful.

"Hawke," Thayer said, offering a polite bow of his head. "I don't mean to interrupt you and your friends. I'll be brief. My name is Thayer."

"Yes, I've heard a bit about you. Anders told me this morning. He worked with you in Amaranthine. You recruited him, right?"

"Yes, that's right. He was an excellent Warden. I was sad to see him go."

"Well, we've all got to do what's best for ourselves, right?"

Thayer paused. Yet another person saying the same thing.

"Right. Well, the reason I've come to you tonight is so that we might meet with intent the next time."

"Oh? Is this going to be about Carver, Warden-Commander?"

"That wasn't my intent, but I'd be happy to answer any—"

"Let me tell you something." Hawke held up his hand. "I'm still coming to terms with what I had to do to save my brother. He's effectively out of my life, much like my sister, who was killed by an ogre two years ago. I don't know what you know about loss, Warden-Commander, but I doubt anything you have to offer would be able to console me. That said, if you have a job or something of the like you want me to do for you, by all means, come to my family's manor up in Hightown tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to it. And, if that's all…then I bid you good day."

Thayer watched as Hawke moved past him without so much as another word and headed down the steps toward the bar.

"Broody type, my arse."

. . . . .

This was it.

Thayer stared over his shoulder, watching briefly as Alistair disappeared into the growing crowd. He'd accompanied him all the way up to Hightown, but this was where they parted ways. Alistair would have to entertain himself while Thayer braved the Hawke estate.

He'd had a nightmare last night that ended with him and Hawke dueling for whatever reason. All he could remember was the terrified sensation to which he'd awoken, making him sweat and shiver in discomfort. In truth, while he knew that he'd faced much worse than this, he couldn't help feeling nervous. Family was unfamiliar territory.

After taking a moment to ground himself, Thayer lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles against the large door leading into the Hawke estate. He picked up faint footsteps behind the thick oak door. A few moments later he was greeted by a dwarf with an amicable look about him.

A dwarf that looked awfully familiar.

"Wait," he said, just as the dwarf said the same thing.

"Bodahn?"

"Commander?"

"What are you doing here in Kirkwall?"

"Why, I live here! Been in Kirkwall for some time, now. What are you doing here, Commander? Out on official business?" He clasped his hands together suddenly. "Oh! Are you here to see Ser Hawke? He's been climbing the social ladder, it would seem! Everyone wants to speak with him lately. Would you like to come in?"

"Yes, please. And actually, yes, he's why I'm here."

Thayer stepped into the house and was immediately reminded of Vigil's Keep. The décor was similar, with lavish tapestries draping the wall and antique rugs lining the cherry wood floor. The ceilings, vaulted as they were, seemed to go on forever. Whatever purpose that served, he wasn't sure. All he knew was it certainly had an extravagance to it.

"Wait here just a moment, Commander, and I'll go get Ser Hawke. Please, take a seat on that bench over there."

Thayer's anxiety began stirring within him again the second he sat down on the cool wooden bench. He stared down the hallway in hopes that his wait wouldn't be long.

Thankfully, it wasn't. Not but a minute later, the tall, dark figure that was Hawke came through the archway separating the entrance of the estate from the rest of the home. He was wearing finery—much different than the weathered robes from yesterday. There wasn't much resemblance, but then again, what did Thayer have to compare him with aside from himself?

"Warden-Commander. Looks like you took me up on my offer. What can I do for you?"

Thayer stood up, brushing his hands down the front of his robes to straighten them out. He walked over to where Garrett was standing and gave a polite bow of his head. "I've come to discuss an important matter with you, Ser Hawke."

"Please, just Hawke."

"Hawke, then. Do you have somewhere we can sit?"

"Ah, yes. This isn't the most welcoming spot for conversation, is it?" Hawke chuckled. It was the first genuine expression of warmth that Thayer had seen, and it helped put him at ease. "Let's go into the sun room."

Hawke led Thayer through the estate, guiding him into the sun room. The afternoon sun poured through the large windows high atop the wall, spreading warmth throughout the open area. Hawke gestured for Thayer to take a seat at the oval-shaped table situated directly in the center of the bottom floor. He excused himself momentarily to go up the nearby steps. It wasn't until he heard talking that he realized someone else was up there.

"Mother, the Warden-Commander of Ferelden is here with business to discuss, so if you wouldn't mind going to somewhere else in the house…"

"Oh, honestly, Garrett, it's not as if I'm going to forbid you from talking to people about business after what happened. Although I'll be damned if I let you go near any dwarves any time soon…"

The woman had a pleasant voice, and from the sound of it, she seemed somewhat serious in her admonition. She soon appeared atop the steps leading up to the loft. She had semi-long, graying hair that surrounded her fair skinned, heart-shaped face. The resemblance to Hawke was easily recognizable.

She walked down the stairs with Hawke beside her, and, as was polite, when she came near the table, Thayer stood and offered her a polite bow and a formal smile.

Hawke's mother gasped. Her expression surprised Thayer. Had he done something wrong?

"H-How did you—" She looked at Hawke, then back at Thayer. "This can't be."

"What? What's wrong, Mother?"

"Garrett, he's…" She reached forward as if to touch Thayer's face, quickly stopping herself. "What's your name, Ser?"

"Thayer," he said, purposefully not offering his surname. He'd caught on—she recognized something in him.

"Mother, why are you acting so strangely?" Hawke asked in concern.

"Shh."

Hawke's mother stared at Thayer with such intent that he couldn't bear it anymore. Just as he was about to say something, she spoke.

"You're an Amell."

Thayer simply nodded. A lump growing in his throat made it hard to speak.

Hawke looked taken aback. "Wait, what?"

"He looks just like my cousin, Revka. The eyes, the cheeks, the mouth…"

Hawke's mother didn't hesitate this time in reaching out to touch Thayer's face. Her fingertips ghosted over the outline of his cheeks and down his jaw line, leaving him with a faint tingle down his spine. She frowned. Her eyes grew distant, mirroring a deep seated pain.

"This is absolute nonsense," Hawke said. "Mother, he's not related to us. Tell her you're not related to us." He looked at Thayer expectantly.

"That was the business I came to discuss with you," Thayer stated simply.

"Oh, Revka," Hawke's mother murmured, closing her eyes. She pulled her hand away, resting it on her chest. "Even though I haven't seen her for years, I still think of her every day."

"Wait a second," Hawke said. "I thought you said Revka had several kids and that they all went into the Circle. If he's one of them, he shouldn't be here."

"S-Several kids?"

Thayer's heart skipped a beat. Several? That couldn't be right. Just yesterday he'd had no family. And now, today, he not only had cousins, but possibly brothers and sisters too?

She ignored Garrett's comment. "Oh, Thayer, our family is rich with magical blood. You should take a seat, dear. Come on, then."

Once they all sat down, Hawke's mother smiled faintly.

"I'm sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Leandra. I'm your mother's cousin. We were very close growing up here in Kirkwall."

"I need to tell you something," Thayer began. "I did go into the Circle, but was conscripted out of it."

"I know, child. I know. I spoke with Revka almost every week. I was there with her to console her the day they took you away to the Circle."

"But I thought you lived here in Kirkwall?"

Hawke shook his head. "Mother moved to Ferelden with Father."

Leandra chuckled. "I loved Malcolm, Garrett's father, far more than I loved my life here as a noble in Kirkwall. We eloped. It took years to shake off the Templars, but we managed."

Thayer furrowed his brow. He had so many questions, so many unfocused thoughts and emotions. He'd come here with the intent of learning more about his history, but this was far more complex than he could have ever imagined.

"Your mother told me long ago that she intended to shield you from her life before. It would seem that's exactly what she did." Thayer nodded, and so she continued. "When she first fell pregnant, everyone was so happy. But that child—your older sister, Solona—showed magical abilities right from birth. It was such a spectacle, and our family never quite recovered from it."

"I'm sure it didn't help that you ran off with Father, what, a year after that?" Hawke interjected with a smirk.

Leandra gently smacked her son's forearm. "Revka and your father tried to maintain a normal life here in Kirkwall after that, but a few months later she fell pregnant again—with you—and they fled from Kirkwall to Redcliffe in Ferelden. After you were born and everything started working out for them, Malcolm and I finally decided to do the same. I never looked back then, not until now."

She reached across the table and squeezed Thayer's hand. "The Templars eventually found them—found you—and whisked you away to the Circle. After that, Revka and your father more or less gave in. They knew that any child they had from then on was destined for the Circle if they were magical. You have a brother who got sent there too, just a few years after you. His name was Daylen. It was incredibly hard for them to deal with. Nobody told you about your siblings?"

"The Circle isn't well known for nurturing family connections," Thayer offered. He sighed. "They say it distracts you from your inner focus."

An older sister and a younger brother. Both magical, and both out there in the world. Had they passed their Harrowings? Were they functioning members of the Circle of Mages? Or were they not so lucky and had become possessed by demons and had promptly been destroyed?

The whole concept of having family was overwhelming him. Thayer closed his eyes and took a minute to try and bring himself to center. His heartbeat felt irregular, his palms sweaty. The air around him grew charged with his expelled energy.

"Now, look at you," Leandra said, admiration ringing clear in her voice. "The Hero of Ferelden. If only your parents had lived to see that. They would have been so proud."

It was a rude wake-up call to remember that his parents weren't alive to see his accomplishments, especially after this sudden revelation of his other family members. Somehow, after hearing everything he had, it stung that much worse. But perhaps the worst part in all of this was learning that his parents had kept so much a secret from him. Was it really all for his protection? What would it have protected him from?

"Your mind is probably reeling right now. That's understandable."

"Forget his, mine is all over the place." Hawke rubbed his hand over his face. "I can't believe we're related to the Hero of Ferelden. But wait." He looked at Thayer curiously. "How did you know you were related to us if you say your family never told you?"

"If you take a minute to think about it, you'll pick up the idea."

Hawke's eyes narrowed. "Anders."

"Mm-hmm."

Leandra smiled. "Ah, that mage you keep bringing around the estate?" She winked at Thayer. "He's very handsome."

Hawke's cheeks turned the slightest bit pink. "Mother."

Thayer cleared his throat. "I want you both to know that I'm not here to intrude in any way. Your life is your own. I simply came to find someone important to me. And oddly enough, I've found…so much more."

"Nonsense, you're family. You're not intruding in the slightest." Leandra pat Thayer's arm. "Any child of Revka's is welcome in my home. Well, our home." She smiled at her son. "Right, Garrett?"

"Of course, Mother."

"Do you have any portraits of my brother?" Thayer asked suddenly. "How old was he when he was taken to the Circle?"

"Right around your age, six or seven. I remember because Revka said, 'Will I only get six years with each of my children before they're taken away from me?'"

Such painful words for a mother to have to say. Thayer barely remembered her, but hearing that made him long to see her—to comfort her.

"And my sister?"

"She was taken from Revka here in Kirkwall. I would imagine she'd be here in the Gallows at the Circle of Mages," Leandra said.

Thayer nodded. "The one thing I don't quite understand is why my surname is Amell." He looked at Leandra, scratching at his head. "If it's my mother's surname, shouldn't mine be my father's?"

"Not necessarily, dear. Your mother was very proud of her name and her heritage. Your father married into our family, not the other way around. He chose to take her last name for the prestige that came along with it."

"There's so much I want to ask," he said, trailing off. One question after another popped into his head, bombarding his thoughts and jumbling them all together. He doubted Leandra would have an answer for everything but as long as she could give him something…well, that was far better than nothing.

Leandra said, "By all means, gather your thoughts and questions. Tonight, we have to celebrate! Oh, it'll be wonderful. Dinner is usually prepared and served by six in the evening. You must join us."

"I would love to," Thayer said without hesitation. "May I bring someone along? My friend has been patient, but I don't know if he'd be able to deal with me getting a decent meal and him not." He smiled, albeit a little nervously.

Hawke offered a disarming grin. At just the right angle it reminded Thayer of his own, but just barely. "Sure, bring your rowdy friend from yesterday. As long as he doesn't cause a scene like he used to in the Hanged Man, he's welcome in our home."

Thayer momentarily closed his eyes. His head was spinning, but for the first time in a long while, he didn't mind it.