Author's Notes: I return! Within a week, yay, and with chapter eight. I knew the last chapter was going to be an interesting read for you all, simply because I wanted to throw in a little family drama for Thayer. He hasn't had a chance to experience it before, so why not?

Orpheus: Alistair will be getting back to shape here very shortly. I haven't really been putting it directly in the story, aside from something you will be seeing here in the chapter very shortly. :) And yeah, it reminds me of Goldanna-although I feel as though Solona definitely wishes to know Thayer, however unless he makes an effort in HER way, she won't budge. It's hard to explain.

Gatorsnacks: I can't say anything on his other sibling. At least not right now. But that was the idea with Solona's appearance. So keep that thought tucked into the back of your head. And the meat comment came from me basically being hungry, which...turned into something sexual. I don't even know how it happened. XD

Zeeji: Thank you! I wanted to keep it realistic...I had a feeling that Solona would react in such a way from the very beginning, given her upbringing. That isn't to say that she wouldn't be curious, but given her lifestyle, I imagine it's hard for her to deal with someone just popping in and being like "I'm your brother, hey!" It comes up again later-can't tell you how, but you'll see.

This chapter will be a lot of fun, I think you'll all love it. Lemme know what you think :D

"All right, spill. You've got more going on inside that head than the worst storm I've ever seen you conjure up."

Thayer had remained more or less silent upon their return to the estate that afternoon. Upon their arrival, Alistair had immediately taken him to their room. The mage should have expected the question.

"I don't really know what to say. I don't know what I was expecting."

"Obviously you were expecting some kind of positive response, right? I could see it in the way you looked at her. I'm not blaming you, I'm just saying."

"Yes, well, it didn't work out that way. So now I can go on my merry way."

Alistair made a face. He leaned against one of the posters of the bed, staring across the room at Thayer. "You know, this is like what happened with Goldanna."

Goldanna. Thayer hadn't thought about her for ages. He remembered how poorly that encounter had gone, and how upset Alistair had been afterward. The mage wasn't upset so to speak; he just felt somewhat defeated. Maybe he had been anticipating a warm welcome from his older sister. But who could blame him?

"You remember what my lovely sister was like," Alistair continued. "And do you remember what you told me?"

"Everyone is out for themselves," Thayer said.

"Exactly. Solona seemed to fit that bill quite nicely."

"In her defense, she never even knew she had family. Maybe it was selfish of me to barge into her life and make such an outlandish claim."

A new voice said, "It would seem to me you're better off without her."

Thayer and Alistair both looked to the doorway. Standing there with his arms folded over his chest was Garrett.

"Look at it this way," he continued. "No harm, no foul, right? Your sister was never originally part of your life, and now it would appear things will stay that way. Unless you plan to visit the Kirkwall Circle Tower often. It's disappointing, yes, but you can't force what won't happen naturally. It will only lead to trouble."

Hawke made a good point, and yet part of Thayer instinctively wanted to disagree with it. He knew that part was his stubbornness butting its ugly head in. He wanted to say, No, she and I will become close and I'll prove it was a smart decision! But he knew it wasn't. He had wanted to get to know her, learn about her. However, Solona had never even been aware of his existence—all she'd ever known was what she'd seen in the Circle. He really had no right to feel affronted by her disinterest in his presence. What benefit would it serve her to know her family? She'd done just fine in her life without that knowledge.

He hoped he would get over it soon. This was far too much to deal with in one sitting.

This led to several questions about his brother. What was that situation going to be like? What kind of emotional havoc would that wreak upon him? He hoped he wasn't still licking his wounds from this when he went back to Ferelden to try and find him.

He sighed.

Garrett scratched behind his ear, giving Thayer a small smile. "You need to get your mind off of this whole situation. Listen. I was going to go see my friends at the Hanged Man later tonight. You're welcome to join me if you want, the both of you."

"Thank you," Thayer said.

"I think I might pass on this one," Alistair murmured. He was lying back on the bed with his hand over his face. "I'm pooped from walking all over the place. I don't think I can take another trip down to Lowtown. Those steps are killer."

Both Thayer and Garret laughed. Thayer reached over and rubbed Alistair's stomach. "You are out of shape. Suppose it's time for you to get up with me in the morning and get training again."

Alistair groaned.

Hawke said, "Meet me in the foyer after dinner and we'll head down. See you soon."

. . . . .

"So is this really the only tavern that exists in Kirkwall?"

"No, but it's the only one that matters. Or so I've been told, anyway."

Thayer took a sip of his drink as Hawke gave him a sideways smile. Although their relation by blood was minimal, in the short time they'd spent together, Thayer was beginning to see all they had in common. He supposed that the first time they'd met had been a front—it seemed like Hawke preferred a naturally sardonic approach to things as opposed to being blunt and confrontational. In a way, it reminded him of Alistair. It clicked well with Thayer's pragmatic approach.

"What do you think of Kirkwall so far?" his cousin asked him.

"It's a far cry from Ferelden," Thayer admitted. "Hard to believe that just across a small sea, things could be so different. You know what I mean?"

Garrett nodded. "When we first arrived here a few years ago, we weren't even allowed in the city. That was when the Blight had just gone full throttle." He looked down and sighed. "Carver was at the battle of Ostagar. I wonder sometimes how he managed to get out of there alive. He would never tell me. All I ever heard was how horrible it was."

"You were very close to your brother and sister, weren't you?"

After several moments of silence, Garrett looked up at Thayer. "After my father died, my mother was an absolute mess. Without her guidance, it fell more or less square on my shoulders to take care of Carver and Bethany. I had to be their parent while my mom recovered from her loss." He drank what remained of his mead, then continued, "It was rough."

"I can imagine."

"Carver changed when our father died," Hawke said. "He was always a scrappy little bugger, but he became a lot more hostile over the years. We argued more and more. I think he resented that I was the voice of reason in our family."

"He probably felt envious that you, Bethany and your father had a common thread that he didn't share," Thayer mused.

Garrett snorted. "Oh, yes, you're right about that. That was an argument we had many times over. Not that it matters now. He's a Warden." He frowned and shook his head. "Listen. I'm sorry I snapped at you about this the other day. It's still smarting a bit. Mother…blamed me, you see, for taking him down to the Deep Roads. It's my fault he contracted the Blight. It's my fault he became a Warden. So, in essence, she's lost her babies, all thanks to me. And she may not always say it, but I can see it in the way she looks at me sometimes."

Thayer could understand. There were plenty of decisions that he had made over the last few years that had left him with a heavy heart. Learning to deal with the aftermath had taken him quite some time.

"You did what you could," Thayer said. "And to be honest, I would have likely snapped, too. You're handling this whole situation far better than I think most people would." He gestured between the two of them.

"What, you mean finding out about you?"

"Exactly."

Hawke laughed. "How many people can say they're related to a living Warden who's slain an archdemon?"

Thayer smiled. "You make a good point. Still, finding out about unknown family is always dicey. I wouldn't have known if it weren't for Anders."

"Oh, Anders…"

Hawke gave a coy smile. It seemed wholly unlike him, and it made Thayer remember what Leandra had said earlier about Anders being at the house often. Perhaps the two of them had more in common than he'd originally thought.

"Am I interpreting that look correctly?"

"What look?"

"That demure little smile. I know that look very well."

"Oh? What do you know about it?"

Hawke was giving off all of the signs that Thayer had originally given when his interest in Alistair had peaked. It was amusing to him.

"Suppose I'll just have to find Anders for an answer, then?"

"Oy, that's not funny."

"Then I'm right."

Hawke replied in a playfully mocking way, "Yes, well, then you're right."

"Anders never gave me the inkling that he fancied men, but then again, apparently there's a lot about Anders I don't quite understand." Thayer made a face, but quickly changed his expression when he realized that his drink had begun to loosen his tongue and his emotions. He closed his eyes for a moment—the anger he'd felt was bubbling up again.

Hawke took it one step further. "If that isn't ire, I don't know what is. I know you're upset that Anders apparently faked his own death, but if he's alive and well, what's it matter?"

"You tell me," Thayer retorted. "Say that one of your own went missing after a battle. How would it make you feel to know they'd faked their own death and were alive and well elsewhere?"

"Ah, touché."

"You see my point."

"Yes and no. After I got past the anger and betrayal I'd feel immensely relieved. So, do you?"

Thayer hesitated, pondering. "Well, yes. And I did tell Anders that at this point, it no longer matters. I suppose I should follow what I say. It won't do to be a hypocrite."

Garrett smirked. "For what it's worth, Anders has been an excellent partner."

"And in which way am I supposed to interpret that?"

"Do with it as you will."

Thayer laughed.

Hawke gave a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair. "I suppose we should call it a night. I've actually got a job I should be doing."

"What's that, then?"

"Some crockpot of a guardsman thinks that some disappearances that have happened the last few years are all connected. He gave me the name of some noble whose house he wants me to investigate."

Thayer raised an eyebrow. "Sounds intriguing."

"Oh, you think so? By all means, join me. I could use another mage in my group. I never did get to ask you…what's your specialty?"

"Primal magic," Thayer said with a small grin. "Nothing more fun than a bolt of lightning or a pillar of fire, yeah?"

"Apparently we've got more in common than we thought. I daresay we could take over the world if we wanted to."

"Too much work. Believe me, running an arling is hard enough. An entire world? No, thank you."

Hawke laughed. "Got to shatter all my dreams, don't you? Come on, let's polish these off and head back."

. . . . .

Upon their return to the estate that night, Thayer and Hawke were met with an unexpected guest.

"Anders!"

The blond mage was just about to knock on the door. He turned around at the sound of his voice, smiling with surprise.

"Ah, Garrett, Thayer…evening."

"What are you doing here?" Thayer asked. He realized the exact reason when Garrett and Anders shared a look. "Oh."

"Yes, just…visiting, is all," Anders replied. "What are you two up to?"

"Just got back from the Hanged Man," Hawke said. "Had a few drinks. I caught him up on where we're at. Let's go inside, we can talk more in there."

Hawke led Thayer and Anders inside the estate and to the sitting room. While the mages took a seat in the lush armchairs near the fireplace, Garrett remained standing, arms comfortably folded over his chest.

"So you told Thayer about our plan tonight?" Anders asked.

"Yes, he's in the loop. I asked him to join us. We could use another mage."

Anders relaxed in his seat. "I didn't want to give anything away. You know, in case he didn't know."

Thayer looked at the blond mage and snorted. He should have guessed that's why Anders was here—it didn't seem his style to be a midnight caller.

"Did you find the DuPuis estate?" Garrett inquired.

"Yes. It's not too far from where we are. We could get there easily."

"So, this is just an investigative mission?" Thayer sat forward in the armchair, scratching at his neck. "What do you expect to find?"

"We're not entirely sure," Anders said. "The guard we spoke to, Emeric, says that Gascard DuPuis, a noble, is involved in this string of disappearances. I'm sure Garrett told you. But the truth is, even he didn't give us much to go off of. We don't even know what we'll find."

"We just have to find implicative evidence."

"Right."

Hawke chuckled. "Should be a cakewalk. We'll get in, we'll get out, and everything will be fine." He turned and glanced toward the entrance to the sitting room. "Varric and Fenris should be here soon."

Thayer raised an eyebrow. "Have I met them?"

"No, not yet." Garrett paused, then started for the exit. "I hear Bodahn speaking to someone at the door. I'll be back."

Thayer and Anders shared a look. Despite himself, the Grey Warden couldn't help but blurt out:

"We need to talk."

Anders chuckled quietly. "How did I know this was coming?"

"I apologize. I just…well."

"You're impulsive, Thayer, it's understandable. And I do owe you an explanation. But not here. Not now." Anders rubbed his neck. "Can we speak about it tomorrow?"

Thayer nodded.

Garrett rejoined them a few moments after, followed by a blond dwarf and a thin elf with white-blond hair and strange markings all over his body. Upon closer investigation, Thayer realized they teemed with magical energy. The elf stared at him with narrowed eyes. It would have been unnerving, had Hawke not spoken.

"Fenris, Varric, this is the Warden-Commander of Ferelden, Thayer Amell."

"Amell?" the dwarf asked. "You mean—"

"Yes, he's related. He's my cousin."

"Let me guess: another mage," the elf grumbled.

"Just another happy addition to the party," Hawke said with a sardonic smirk. "I love how that's the one thing you focus on, Fenris. Never mind that he defeated the archdemon and all that."

"Yes, well, congratulations to him," Fenris said dryly. "Let us go so we can take care of this meaningless mission."

Anders stood up, ran his hands down the front of his robes and nodded. "We've got just a ways to walk."

Hawke gestured out the door. "Lead the way."