"Never thought I'd go here willingly..." Varric muttered, making Garrett nod in agreement.
The Viscount's Keep was large and ominous from the outside, all sharp corners and fortifications that clearly weren't there for show. Yet inside it was surprisingly open, the arrow slits high above not only worked as a defence, but let much sunlight into the keep itself, illuminating gilded pillars and richly decorated archways that held up an immense vaulted ceiling. The light made the barely visible rafters nearly disappear in all the light and splendour covering the walls, as well as illuminating the expensive clothing on every person they saw.
Garrett was surprised at the level of activity, somehow he had expected...more.
Sure, he heard someone at a distance complain about his work-load, but considering the man seemed content on staying with his little gathering of friends instead of actually working made his complaint somewhat hollow. Instead the place reminded Garrett of the Chantry back in Lothering. Everyone spoke in polite whispers, reading, working and writing at a calm pace, giving the atmosphere an almost serene feel to it as tasks were orderly and without haste; completed by various clerks working through their daily routine with the ease and contentment that came out of practice
Garrett wasn't entirely sure why Varric wouldn't ever go to the Viscount's keep willingly, but his own reason was painfully apparent the moment he moved towards the main set of stairs. On each side of the stairs a fully armoured guardsman stood, hands warily resting on the pommels of their swords as the eyes within their helmets glared at him and his family, willing but unable to do something about their intrusion.
While there was no evidence of any kind, Garrett had, being such a pivotal part in Athenril's Footpads, been unable to keep all suspicion from him and his kin. As such the Kirkwall guardsmen always eyed him with suspicion, and only the fact that their investigating efforts were laughable had kept them from getting any evidence on him on more than one occasion. For the guardsmen it was surely frustrating to see him waltz into the very heart of their operations, he wouldn't be surprised if some saw it as a direct attack at their pride.
Wonder why they put the Kirkwall Guard barrack in the keep anyway and not somewhere more central? Maybe the Viscount that introduced them wished for some personal protection as well? Maker, I wish we could afford books on the subject...or any books, in fact. Garrett suppressed the curiosity, not to mention the longing to simply feel real paper crackle under his fingers, to uncover something he had always wondered about...and instead glanced at Varric.
As a general rule Garrett found people offering help with 'no strings attached' and selling some idea to get rich quick to be despicable. They were fools at best, charlatans at the worst. But despite the fact that the dwarf should have struck Garrett as something not worth his time, Garrett had a good feeling about Varric...there was just something...disarming about the man's smile.
Bethany sure is delighted with him... Garrett scowled, he didn't like his sister getting too comfortable with Varric as a friend, it would make any future decisions...difficult.
For fact of the matter was that Varric's no strings attached offer really didn't have any strings to it. Sure, the Hawke name would be further drawn into the mud and Varric and his brother didn't seem like people you wanted as enemies, but Garrett was well aware that if he found the risks too great he would simply call off their cooperation, it would be regrettable, but would still mean they left richer than they were before.
The offer was tempting though, Varric had been right about that, if they all did their parts they could all get rich...a good deal. The thought of the riches wasn't as enticing as what it signified though; the idea of his family being safe, completely and utterly safe...Garrett could barely imagine it. To finally relax... He nearly sighed with longing.
Still, if that didn't happen Garrett was more than happy to take all the jobs Varric seemed willing to throw his way and keep up the pretence of cooperation; anything to keep them from starving was welcome.
Varric glanced up at him, making him realise his gaze had lingered too long. "What?" The dwarf's eyebrow shot up. "Do I have something on my face?"
Dammit. "Well..."
Fortunately, Carver saved him. "I can tell you what's not on your face, that beard of yours." If it wouldn't have given Garrett away, he would have given his brother a grateful look, as it was he steered his steps towards the guards barrack, happy to let his siblings turn the conversation away from Garrett having to say anything.
Behind him, Bethany was giggling. "Carver...!" The tone was meant to be chastising, but it failed completely.
"Kid, stop embarrassing yourself." Varric snorted, smugness in his voice. "Being jealous of my chest hair is natural, but to attack my lack of a beard, that would hide my undoubtedly handsome jaw, is just sad. Just get over the fact that you can't compete with this dwarf and life will be much easier."
Carver spluttered and Bethany chuckled while Garrett, keeping himself focused at the task at hand, only let a little sliver of amusement flutter within him as he guided them towards the Guard barrack. Will be good to see Aveline again, it's been too long. He lengthened his strides, Bethany might find Aveline 'nice but dull', but Garrett liked the predictability, it wasn't often one met a person willing to stick to her principles through whatever life threw at you, it was something to respect.
"You there, halt." A woman standing in full armour by the doorway held up an open palm at him, the eyes in her helmet narrowed. "Civilians aren't allowed in the barracks unless on matters of urgency, state your business."
"Brennan, it's okay." Aveline's voice cut through the low murmur behind the guard before Garrett could reply, the clatter of armoured feet approaching giving away her approach. "They're with me."
The guards-woman shot Garrett a final look, then glanced over at Carver with something less than professionalism, making Garrett shift between the two before the boy got any ideas about flirting with a woman that could well land them in jail. It earned him a glare from the woman, but then she simply shrugged and turned to walk into the barracks. "Very well, you talk to them and guard the door then? I need some grub."
"Sure." Aveline appeared in the doorway, giving the other a woman a pat on the back before turning to Garrett with a genuine smile. "I'll be, Hawke, it's been too long." She offered a gauntleted hand. "I saw you approach the keep, but wasn't sure I was seeing right."
"Aveline, it's good to see you, seems you've settled in nicely here." Garrett replied with a polite smile, clasping the woman's forearm as she did the same to him.
He already knew she had. While he had been forced to keep the family at a distance from Aveline due to her profession he had easily noted a slight increase in efficiency among the guards. Her own patrols in particular were dangerous to the Footpads, but it had spread among the rest of the guards. It wasn't so much that there had been any drastic changes, but more that she had lead by example, making the other guards try just a bit harder.
It had been a strange cat and mouse game. A game where the rest of the patrols were still easily avoided, but where those lead by Aveline had been a real thorn in Garrett's side, despite the fact that Aveline really didn't want to catch them, as far as he had been able to judge. After all they'd been through together he could understand she felt indebted to him and didn't want to arrest someone who had no option but to commit crimes, but she had tried none the less, because she believed in the law in a city where it was barely maintained at all.
Garrett could respect that.
"Not easily, but yes." Aveline replied, letting go of his arm as she nodded for them to move towards a corner of the room. "And considering reports are saying the Footpads have lost some subtleness in their operations, I'm going to guess you're no longer with them?"
Garrett hesitated for half a second, unsure if admitting his past job was such a good idea, but no one but Aveline was really in earshot, and she didn't seem about to arrest him. "Our debt was paid, so I got out as soon as possible." He shrugged, concealing how happy he was for it.
Carver was actually right, they could have stayed a bit longer, gotten a larger share and earned quite a lot of coin, it would have been a good investment. Garrett made no excuses though, he genuinely believed the risks outweighed the gain, if only by a little. But in addition he hadn't been able to stomach the idea of being with Athenril even one more time.
He couldn't regret his 'decision', or rather the fact that he had surrendered to Athenril's demands out of fear of his family's safety, that it might have helped them earn a little more in the way of bonuses hadn't hurt either. Yet when it came down to it, Athenril had used information and power to coerce him into something he hadn't wanted, it had been, without sugar-coating it, repeated rapes.
The first time had been the most demeaning, where his own inexperience had shown so clearly that the elf had laughed at him, but the following times were little better, repeated blows to his self-esteem that left him disgusted with himself, something the elf seemed to have enjoyed.
It hadn't exactly been the way he'd imagine he'd lose his virginity, nor how he'd learn the art of 'love'...but the deed had been done and he would have to accept it. Besides, losing it to save my family...there's no worthier way, right? The thought rang a bit hollow, even in his own mind.
He was glad Aveline didn't seem to notice the shame that felt as if it was stuck to him like a second skin, her nod pleased. "Good on you, I knew you'd make the right call." She grimaced. "I'm...glad you got me out of that debt...I...owe you for that, and for getting me out of Ferelden...and giving me a place to stay those first few weeks..." She cocked her head to the side and glared at the ceiling with a sigh. "Some self-sufficient woman I was."
"Everyone needs help once in a while." Garrett replied. "Besides, we helped each other back in Ferelden if I remember correctly."
"Indeed, so what can I do for you?" Aveline smiled, amused at his surprised look as she crossed her arms over her armoured chest. "Oh come now, we all know Hawke never goes anywhere without a plan, so spit it out, I'm all ears." She glanced at Garrett's side, eyeing up Varric with no surprise what so ever. "I'm going to assume it's about Varric here and his brother's little expedition? Heard you're trying to hire on to their expedition."
"Of course you did." Now it was Garrett's turn to smile, if only slightly, at Aveline's surprise. "A suggestion; if the Guard is going to have informers in Hightown they should dress them up better and hire more of them, if you see the same faces in strikingly dirty clothing in Hightown you notice it."
"As if the Guard could afford more informers in Hightown, let alone Lowtown." Aveline snorted, posture tensing, revealing some of her frustration, as she continued. "I swear, we can afford nice parties and shiny equipment, but the Darkspawn will take us all before the Captain spends more than the minimum on training, hiring and proper patrol-schedules. The Guard wasn't created to look nice on parades, but to be out on the streets and be a force to be reckoned with, even among the Guard only a few still seem get that..."
"Seems you have plans." Varric noted, not with a little amusement. "I suppose it would take an outsider to point at all the blemishes, Kirkwallers are so used to the Guard's inefficiency that they barely notice it any more. Sort of like the garbage or the Coterie wanting protection-money, it's just the same old smell and another tax."
"Well I won't stand for it." Aveline replied with an angry snort. "And don't think I'll let you get away with dragging Garrett into more law-breaking, I know you have your fingers in far too many jars."
"All perfectly legal, I'm good with papers that way." Varric chuckled.
"Well..." Aveline sighed and looked back to Garrett, clearly frustrated. "I trust you know what you're doing, although going down into the Deep Roads sounds suicidal to me, we left Ferelden to get away from the Darkspawn you know."
"That's what I said!" Carver exclaimed far too loudly, the echo making dozens of people going about their business shoot him angry glares.
"Anyway...what can I do for you?"Aveline turned away from shooting Carver a disapproving look back to Garrett.
Who in turn shrugged. "I have had difficulty finding someone, a Warden more specifically, figured you knew of him; mage, Fereldian, hides in Darktown?"
It had actually been frustrating. Garrett had a lot of connections in Darktown and Lowtown, men and women, elves, dwarves and humans, beggars, prostitutes, merchants , pawn-brokers and thugs. With such a wide spectrum of contacts within the lower reaches of Kirkwall's society one could learn much by using the right incentives. Yet Garrett had to his surprise found himself unable to make headway at every turn.
It was surprising, but even the lowliest beggars, on the point of starvation, had refused the coppers he offered, apparently ready to protect the mage they spoke so highly of from any possible threat. Some of the thugs had even gone as far as threatening him, which was shocking considering how much they respected him for his fair treatment of them. Then there was the fear that Varric had spoken of...a few had visibly paled at the mention of the Warden, as if the memory somehow scared them, or perhaps the possibility of what he might do to them. Quite a few had also refused him based on Athenril's orders, unsurprisingly she was aiming at making life difficult for him.
So Garrett hadn't much to go on. He knew the Warden was a man, a mage, and there was something strange about him beyond his magic, something that seemed to scare even those he had made better.
It wasn't much.
"Ah, that one." Aveline nodded, making Garrett breathe a sigh of relief. "I've heard of him, but haven't been able to come into contact, people are being careful about letting anyone who might do him harm get near him."
"And you wouldn't?" Garrett asked, arching an eyebrow.
Aveline grimaced. "Being a mage outside the Circle is technically illegal..." She shot the nervous-looking Bethany a glance. "...but the Templars are the ones supposed to enforce that rule, so I see no reason to involve myself in it. Besides, a man running a free clinic in Darktown for my countrymen? Sounds like something good for the city; the poor need all the help they can get, and there is precious little of that in Kirkwall. So no, I wouldn't do him harm, but you try convincing people of that while wearing the armour of the Guard."
"But you know a way to get to him." Varric guessed, taking the words straight out of Garrett's mouth.
"I do, won't be easy though." Aveline replied.
"Nothing good ever is." Garrett muttered, making the woman nod in agreement.
"Anyway, I know of a...woman who knows of his location." The way Aveline grimaced at the word suggested she didn't quite find it fitting for the person in question. "Fereldian, but looks like a Rivaini, fancies herself a captain without owning a ship. I've investigated her due to her many shady deals but found nothing solid to go on, name of Isabela, though no one seems to know her surname. She knows where this Warden is, seems she's been treated by him, not surprising considering her ways." Another grimace. "Hangs out in the Hanged man most of her days, though how she can afford the ale I don't understand."
"Sounds like an interesting character." Varric muttered with a low whistle, then looked up at Garrett. "I'm betting she'll make us jump through hoops to get the information."
"I'm a good jumper." Garrett shrugged, making Varric smirk.
"She's struck me as a selfish prig, no loyalty to the Warden there, you'll get what you want if she gets what she wants." Aveline's voice was filled with scorn. "I'm coming with you, I'd like to see this Warden, not to mention make sure this Isabela doesn't screw you over."
Garrett glanced over at his siblings , then Varric, then over to Aveline. What a strange group we'll seem... He shrugged though. Better safe than sorry. "Very well, you can come."
Aveline simply brushed past him as she started marching for the door. "I don't remember asking."
8
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8
Thanks to Abydos Jackson for never failing to deliver.