"What should we do?"

Mother was nervous, Bethany could tell. Leandra's dark blue eyes were fixed on Bethany, the knitting forgotten in her lap, the slender fingers of her hands, that Bethany had inherited from her, drumming against her legs.

At first glance, however, it was hard to tell Bethany was her mother's daughter. Leandra was a short five and a half foot, while Bethany had her father's blood making her as tall as Garrett, and while Bethany had inherited Leandra's oval face, she lacked the high cheekbones of her mother that framed the growing signs of age around her eyes. Mother's grey hair had once been blonde, as such Bethany's dark hair was clearly from her father, as were the brown doe eyes and lush lips, something mother always crooned about, as if what Bethany had gotten at birth was something to be proud over...

Just like her cursed magic.

Bethany knew it was important to keep away from the central area of Lothering, that her magic made her and, by association, her family, a target. That was partly, though money also was a factor, why they lived in the outermost northern area of the village, with the boys working for that crude, but land-owning, man Barlin, while the women stayed at home.

It wasn't all that strange, many women worked at home, it was an important job even, while the men worked the farms. Yet Bethany knew that most women her age would at least get some lighter duty on the farms, get the chance to earn just a little more for the family, see some other girls her age...maybe some boys too.

Of course Bethany couldn't do that, she had to stay at home, study father's old tomes, learn to control her 'gift', the gift that had made the family move from one end of Ferelden to the next, that kept them constantly fearful of the Templars and made them hid her away like a precious gem in a den of thieves.

She could of course hide it, she was by now expert at appearing perfectly normal...yet she still was not allowed to go out, to mingle too much. It was partly out of a need to protect that would never fade from her brothers, a knowledge that only one slip was enough to send them packing once more. Not to mention that, as her mother never stopped pointing out, she was such a beauty that the men of the village would flock to her...which was the opposite of what they wanted if they wanted to keep her safe. As such most in Lothering probably didn't even knew she existed...

All because of her connection to the Fade.

Damn my 'gifts'...

Yet Leandra loved her for it, it reminded her of father she said...and of course, she couldn't tell Bethany the truth of what a pain it could sometimes be to them, unlike some.

Carver...I hope you're okay.

Biting her lip, Bethany continued her pacing across their small living room, the answer finally escaping her. "I...don't know."

It was frightening. They had seen torches in the distance, even from their hovel, they had seen the torches of thousands of soldiers marching by, Leandra had heard it was Loghain's men...though the rumours about why he was marching north were so many that guessing one way or the other was pointless.

Then...there had been strange things afoot. A few villagers had left, their houses emptied, as if they had heard something the others hadn't, some in the south were also gone...doors and windows ripped open, walls covered in blood. Secluded as they were, it had only been a day since Bethany and Leandra had heard of that, yet even they had noticed the odd shift in the nature.

Animals, bears, wolves, rabbits, foxes and even birds...all were going north, so many even Bethany staring out her window while bent over her father's tome, noticed.

And the grass...Bethany wasn't sure, but it seemed browner than it was just a few days ago, in fact, all plants seemed...not sick, for there was no sign of any diseases...but dying none the less. As if it was a draught, despite the rainstorm a few days ago...

It was all very...worrying.

And now there were talks of the king being dead, of the army defeated at Ostagar, of people having to leave or ending up killed by the Darkspawn. Yet who could leave when they had family members in the army? Who could leave all they had based on rumours? Who dared to leave when the roads, now bereft of the soldiers usually guarding them, were rife with bandits? Indecision hung like a cloud over Lothering.

And it was no different in the Hawke house.

What would Garrett do?

It wasn't the first time she had asked herself the question, and Bethany bit her lip as she looked over their home.

The living room doubled as a sleeping quarter for Garrett and Carver with their bunk-bed in one corner, the crudely axed table and chairs in the middle of the room taking up most of the rest of the space and being a place for both cutting vegetables and meat as well as eating their meals. To the left the kitchen was a tiny little room separated by the living room with a small curtain, only large enough to contain a battered old hearth and whoever was in there cooking what they had cut up in the living room. To the right was the study, a surprisingly large room that was her and mother's bedroom as well as containing the bookshelf of crumpled old books and parchments Garrett and father, when the man had been alive, had collected during their travels.

It wasn't much, but it was home.

Bethany knew the answer to her question though. If her brother had been there he would have packed up the necessities without casting the rest of their meagre belongings a look and then headed away from the village, leaving a note with instructions for the rest of the family to follow, prioritizing survival for those he had power over above all else.

Yet Bethany wasn't her brother, she just couldn't up and leave while her two siblings were out there, struggling for their lives and probably heading home...she loved hem too much to abandon them like that.

She would soon have to make a decision though, they couldn't just sit there and wait for death like some panicking people seemed ready to do...Bethany threw her mother a worried look, the weight of responsibility heavy on her shoulders.

Mother was in charge when it came to the household, she was a strong and confident woman... But her apostate love Malcolm had always been stronger, more decisive, he had been the one in charge of everything else...and when he had succumbed to a Darkspawn attack, the first of many 'isolated events', seven years ago, Garrett had taken up the mantle as the man of the household, the one in charge.

Bethany had always admired her brother for how naturally he had taken up the burden. How at ease he had been in the role of protector and supporter, of how the responsibility of the family his father had entrusted him had fitted so well with him...yet that made his absence all the more felt, the family was rudderless without him!

Damn you Carver for dragging him into the war! Bethany's thought was tinged with fear and worry as she stood there, weighing the options. I really should pack our things and-

The door crashed open.

"Brother!" Bethany's face lit up in joy and relief at the sight of her siblings, though was swiftly turned to fright as she saw the state they were in. "Maker, what happened to you!"

Carver was the one answering the question, his gasped words filled with bitterness. "Loghain happened. The vile, treacherous, little snake...if I get my hands on him..." At the moment, the man's wow rang hollow though. Bethany wasn't sure which brother was supporting the other as they stumbled further into the room, now helped by a white-faced Leandra guiding them towards the table, but judging by their pasty and sweaty faces, they were both on the brink of exhaustion. "...I'll gut him, I swear it!"

Carver's words were more of a pained gasp then a shout, and as such Garrett's tired grunt easily rose above it. "Mother, bread and much water, please." Leandra, now fussing over the two seated men, reluctantly pulled her hovering hands away from her sons to obey, her movements hurried and jerky with fear. Turning to look at Bethany, Garrett's eyes still had a hint of calm in them. "You're still here."

It was not an accusation, just an observation, yet Bethany found herself grimacing as she nodded. "Y-yes...I knew we should have fled and left a note...but I...couldn't."

Garrett smiled though, one of those tiny, special little smiles he rarely spared for anyone. "I'm glad you're here."

Then, a moment later, it was gone, the man's eyes lighting up as Leandra put two large cups in front of the men as well as a wooden plate with the largest loaf of bread the family had. The sparse meal came with the expected question though, a question trembling with worry. "I-is it true? D-did the Darkspawn win?"

"Yes." Was all Garrett managed before he joined Carver in grabbing his mug and gulping the water down like only an incredibly thirsty man could, cleaning some of the dirt off the armour Bethany only now noticed as some ran down his chest.

Despite having expected the answer, Bethany shivered, hands rubbing her shoulders as she looked out the window, as if expecting the Darkspawn at any moment. Her eyes narrowed at the view though, with all the greenery it was impossible to see the distant village, but...was there smoke rising over there?

"Maker..." Was all mother managed, the woman sitting down heavily on her chair, trembling hands closing around each other on the table.

"Me and Carver barely got out." Garrett managed the moment the empty mug hit the table, the man gesturing for his mother to refill it even as he continued to speak, words so hurried they nearly stumbled over one another. "Unfortunately we had to flee for a considerable distance and only got our bearings recently, we've lost days while the Darkspawn were drawing closer to Lothering. We're fortunate they took such time hunting the survivors of the battle or they would have overrun the place already..."

I wouldn't call that fortunate... Bethany shivered, eyes moving over Garrett's pale face, her heart skipping at the beat in fear at the sight of the small cut across his right cheek. "Maker, how-"

"I'll tell you how! It was that bloody Loghain!" Carver interrupted, his words filled with anger, the man's hands so tight around his mug they threatened to shatter it. "If he had charged, the Darkspawn would have routed!"

"Regardless what would have happened, done is done." Garrett replied, some colour having returned to his cheeks as he took a large bite out of the loaf of bread, half of which Carver had already swallowed up. The moment he swallowed his piece, the man was speaking again. "What we now must focus on is survival, the Darkspawn will be here in mere hours, we must leave."

"Leave?" Mother asked, the woman blinking, a tear in her eye as she looked over their small, but warm, home. "Again...?"

"Yes." Garrett placed a hand on hers, drawing her gaze, holding it as he calmly spoke. "I'm sorry." A second passed...and then he was looking back up at Bethany. "We leave immediately, get as much distance between us and the Darkspawn as possible."

"B-but we have to pack something before-"

"Already done." Garrett rose, Bethany noting with some worry how his legs wobbled a bit as he strode over to the bunk-bed in the corner. Bending down he pulled forth their four backpacks, all of them filled to the brink. Oh brother... Bethany smiled as the man held up the four satchels, prepared as always.

Carver's face coloured pink though, the man frowning in displeasure. "You planned for us to lose...and having to run...?"

"No, I planned in case of that happening." Garrett corrected, shaking his head. "I didn't want this, but it can't be changed."

"So...we just pick them up and...leave? Head north?" Bethany asked, feeling as if she was falling as she looked around her home, the walls suddenly no longer as comforting as they used to be.

"No." Garrett unexpectedly replied. "Everyone's going north, the road will be packed with refugees, among them Templars and people all too willing to find a scapegoat for their predicament." Ah yes, my fault... Garrett continued though. "Not to mention the road will be preyed upon by hordes of bandits seeing an easy target now that all the soldiers are away, and the Darkspawn will pursue such a large number of people on such an obvious route." A shake of his head. "And even if we made it, where to? Redcliffe will swiftly be filled with people, how long can it hold out in the event of a siege if so many need feeding, and who will the Arl judge as worthless mouths? The Bannorn is emptied of soldiers to defend us too, most died at Ostagar, and Denerim is too far."

"So...where?" Leandra muttered, the woman looking distraught even as she stared at her son, worry for the safety of her children etched in her face.

"We go east, sidestepping the main horde and bandits." Garrett nodded to himself, a sign that he had put much thought into it. "Then we continue east until we find Gwaren."

"Gwaren?" Carver echoed, a sneer in his voice as he continued. "The home of that traitor Loghain, you want to find sanctuary there!"

"Gwaren has a well-manned fort, Loghain still has all his men, not to mention the town itself is easy to defend, so yes." Garrett calmly responded, apparently caring little that he wanted to seek protection with a man that so recently had left them to die. "Additionally it has a port, so we have a way out in case of the Darkspawn finding us."

"And...then what?" Bethany managed, a lump in her throat as she kept glancing at mother's stricken face, then to the walls of their home, soon to be kindle to the Darkspawn fires. "We don't have much in the way of savings, and you and I both know the Darkspawn have devoured nations before..."

"I'm not sure." Garrett admitted, sighing as he rubbed his temples, the empty eyes showing just how tired her was, as if the way he carefully sat down on the bed he would never again sleep in didn't make it clear enough. "We need more coin, and safety, Denerim maybe? As long as we can find a passable home, safety and some kind of job we can weather this storm, as we've always managed." He offered another tiny smile, though Bethany knew he was just trying to reassure the worried family members around him.

Silence.

Then Carver nodded, the colour from his cheeks having disappeared as he held his brother's gaze. "As you say, brother, I'm with you."

"Of course...I just don't like not having a final destination..." Bethany muttered, rubbing her shoulders as she eyed the walls around her. We'll have to leave father's grave too... The thought hurt more than she knew he would have wanted it to do.

Silence.

Then mother looked up, her blue eyes red from tears, but a brave smile on her face, her voice having an odd hint of positiveness in it. "We can go to Kirkwall."

"Kirkwall?" Bethany echoed, unable to help herself. "The...city with a Circle? A-and all the Templars...?" She shuddered, she had kept away from them as much as she could, yet even a glimpse of that heavy plate armour the holy warriors wore made her heart beat faster in fright as she shivered with the thoughts of what they'd do to her if they found her...

"Kirkwall is a long way." Garrett noted. "And as Bethany mentioned, not ideal. Though I admit putting a sea between us and the Darkspawn would make us safer."

"You forget, the Amell's is a noble family." Mother interjected, her voice holding that hint of pride it always did the few occasions she mentioned it. "It has the standing and money to not only keep us comfortable, but also keep Bethany out of any Templar clutches."

"Then why didn't we leave ages ago?" Carver blurted out, making Bethany shoot him an angry frown as Leandra flinched.

She collected herself swiftly though, looking down on her hands on the table as she slowly spoke. "Well...with your grandparents gone...there's no ban on me returning to the family, I suppose...not that I don't think they'd forgiven me by now..." There was a hint of hesitation in her voice, but she swiftly moved on. "Not that it matters, my brother Gamlen is there now, he didn't like Malcolm all that much...but that's no longer an issue, so he'll take us in, I just know it." The brave smile widened. "You'll love it, I promise."

"Sounds too good to be true." Carver once more blurted out the words.

This time Bethany shot him a glare. "Brother!"

To her surprise, Garrett's words broke in. "Carver's right, it does..." He hesitated, gaze drifting to mother, then Bethany, then out through the window, as if he could already see the Darkspawn. "...yet the options we have in Ferelden are limited, and based on a lot that we cannot control. In Kirkwall we will at least have something to work with." A thoughtful frown. "It's a hard journey, but once we're there..." His gaze once more flicked to Bethany, then down to Leandra. "...okay mother, we'll go to Kirkwall."

Carver muttered something, but it was lost in the sound of mother's chair scrapping back as she rose and grabbed the backpack offered by Garrett. Moving around the table, Bethany took her own, feeling the mark of father's tome within it even as she met her brother's gaze, offering a trembling smile. He looks so tired...

Carver was the last to rise, and no wonder, the man's legs were visibly shaking as the adrenaline of their escape was wearing off, leaving him trembling with exhaustion. He didn't seem to care though, holding his head defiantly high as he pulled his own pack out of Garrett's hand and putting it on. They need to rest...

Mother echoed Bethany's thought, shaking her head. "We can wait an hour or so, let you boys regain your strength?"

"No time." Garrett rumbled, the man swiftly putting his backpack on as he got to his feet and met Carver's gaze, the worry in their eyes clear. "We have to keep going or we won't lose them."

"Great..." Carver muttered as he turned, though he didn't argue the decision. "...I'm going to be dead on my feet by the end of the day, aren't I?"

"Better dead on your feet than just plain dead." Garrett coldly replied as he swiftly stepped past the rest of the family getting a last look on their home, as Bethany knew he would.

No ceremony, no last glance backwards, just the door getting being pushed open.

"Follow me."

8

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8

Thanks to Abydos Jackson for never giving up on me.