"So this is the man, is it?"
Walking into the small, but exceedingly well-furnished, room, Garrett felt a little out of place.
The walls were covered by a Series of silk drapes in warm brown colours, and leaf-like patterns of yellow sewn into them, no doubt they were worth a fortune. Below these drapes low shelves with dozens of glass jars containing all between spices to more esoteric items stood, clearly the room was as much an office as it was a way to show off the trader's merchandise.
The trader himself was dressed in a red doublet, and leather trouSers, fine of make, but functional as well. With his darkened skin he looked Rivaini, but his accent was clearly Orlesian; considering he was a trader his skin was probably due to many travels up into the warm north. His shortly cropped hair and small beard made him look very proper and rich, giving a good, if somewhat haughty, impression. He was standing behind a mahogany desk, the papers atop it in neat piles and a quill sticking up from a glass ball half-empty of its ink...all looking very proper, not at all like a place in crisis.
Perhaps that's the intended effect.
With all the riches on display, Garrett stuck out like a sore spot. Wearing the partial plate armour he always did, he had his gloves tucked in his belt, his sword hung from it as well, not to mention the shield slung over his back. It was well-maintained, but not exactly a shining suit of armour which obvious expense would excuse a man entering such a rich place in his battle-gear. But Garrett intended to look like a professional when he presented himself, and the armour looked better than his best tunic with the red patch over the rip in the shoulder.
Still, he wasn't about to be put off by some riches, he'd spent many hours reading in the Lothering Chantry after all, and that place was just as wealthy as this place. So he kept his chin high as he held the speaking man's blue eyes. "I am, and you are Hubert, I believe?" He stepped up to the desk and offered his hand.
Which the man took, his hand soft and yielding slightly to Garrett's grip, which for some reason made the man smile. "I am indeed, Varric has spoken highly of you, and I have heard you are one to be...trusted with sensitive problems. Besides, you are Fereldian, no?"
The dwarf stood next to the trader, looking very relaxed as Garrett shot him an arched eyebrow. "What? You're a good guy...sort of...except you don't look the part when you scowl...yes, like that." He shot Garrett a wink, making the human huff in irritation.
Forcing himself to ignore the dwarf, he had helped in getting this deal after all, so he deServed to take some cheap shots, Garrett focused on Hubert. "I can indeed be trusted with sensitive problems, Ser, however, what does being Fereldian has to do with it?"
Garrett released the trader's hand, who moved to rub it with his other as he regarded Garrett with a surprisingly calm look for one in dire need of help. "Because my workforce, I have a mine called the Bone pit you see, is Fereldian. They are perfect, hard workers, not prone to fearing some old tales, and...erm...they work for less than most others." Hubert had the decency to look a little awkward at that last bit, but Garrett let it slide, he had no loyalties to his old nation, after all. "As such I hope you'll be extra motivated to...well..help them."
"You're sure they are in trouble, Ser? What kind?" Garrett asked the questions, already knowing the answer, Varric might have told Hubert something about Garrett, but the dwarf had told Garrett everything about Hubert and his situation.
"I...don't rightly know." Hubert admitted with a grimace. "I have gotten no word and I sent some of my assistants there to check on them, but they never returned..." He shifted, no doubt awkward about the whole situation. "It's quite vexing."
"So it's probably something dangerous, something that might have killed your assistants." Garrett spoke the words Hubert didn't dare. "And you want me to see what it is and fix it, if possible. That about sums it up?"
"Well...it could be nothing too..." Hubert argued with a shrug and a shake of his head, no doubt aware that they were checking where the price may lie.
"A possibility, Ser, but doubtful." Garrett nodded curtly, intent on looking as professional as possible. "I mean no disrespect, Ser, but I am aware that the Bone pit represents a...significant investment on your part." In fact, Varric had told him half of Hubert's wealth lay in that mine, he was getting to the age of settling down, so the trader was no doubt eager not to lose his investment and be forced to regain so much lost coin.
"True...however, while the trouble may be too much for miners to handle, proper professionals could very likely have little to no issue with it..." Hubert replied, verbally wriggling away from being pinned. "I'm sure many would welcome what's possibly an easy job." Clever, you've done this before... Garrett grimaced inwardly knowing he'd have to lower his initial price.
"I'm one of those, Ser." Garrett responded politely. "However, I feel I must point out that it could be anything but easy as well...and given that I'm taking all the risks, along with those I bring with me, to protect your investment I do feel obligated to ask for five sovereigns for the risks and Services rendered."
The die was cast.
Hubert was watching Garrett with interest, rubbing his chin with two fingers.
No doubt he was trying to gauge how nervous Garrett was.
Garrett calmly looked back, unwilling to show how much those five golds would mean to his family.
"What the hell?" The trader shrugged and made a dismissive gesture as a flash of teeth appeared between his lips. "You have yourself a deal." He offered his hand.
Garrett took it with a smile, even as he inwardly grimaced, realising Hubert had been willing to offer more and was glad for having made such a good deal...but a trade was a trade, and Garrett wasn't foolish enough to risk such a vast sum. "Thank you, Ser, I will not fail you."
Hubert's smile was pleased. "That's what I've heard."
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"Hold up."
Holding up a clenched fist, Garrett dropped onto one knee, narrowed eyes scanning the scene before him. Next to him Aveline dropped down along with him, sword already drawn as she too looked at the sight of the Bone pit. Getting her to come along hadn't been difficult, all Garrett had to do was mention that all the workers were Fereldian and that he and his siblings might be in danger...and she was ready to spend her free time in helping out.
He shot her an appreciative look
Garrett had tried asking Anders for help as well, but the mage had simply been swamped by work back at the clinic. Apparently some sort of plague had broken out in Darktown and Anders had too many to help, or rather, make their passing into the Fade less painful. In the end Garrett was glad to have gotten Bethany out of there before her idea of helping out had gotten too firmly rooted.
The girl was currently standing near Varric, hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle at whatever the dwarf had told her. Garrett wasn't all that comfortable with him imparting some of his more...colourful tales on his sister, but she deserved some happiness among all the fear of the Templars and worry about mother and their family. Carver was with the two as well, rolling his eyes at Varric's joke, yet apparently not finding it unbearable enough to walk away, his armour creaking as he shifted where he stood, glancing over at Garrett, looking for orders, despite almost always questioning them. Stubborn boy...
Garrett had considered bringing Fenris with them as well, despite what the elf might think of Bethany, he would probably be professional, and Garrett had no reason to question the elf's skills...but in the end the idea of parting with some of the gold was too painful, particularly since Garrett knew he could have earned more.
As to the idea of bringing Isabela...Garrett had swiftly squashed that idea when he remembered how much ale he had to buy her last time she offered her help in exchange for a drink...'a' was apparently not a set number.
He also hadn't brought Maric along, while the Mabari would have been good to have, there had been a few silvers missing from their coffers. Garrett wasn't about to blame uncle Gamlen, as Bethany, Carver and mother were, because he was surely loyal to the family enough to know not to steal from it, but it couldn't hurt to leave the dog behind to watch their money...
"Doesn't look good." Aveline muttered, drawing Garrett out of his thoughts and focusing him at the task at hand. "Bandits?"
The camp before the mine was in ruins. The few wooden structures that had been set up were barely smouldering pieces of charcoal, the large camp-fire had died out, the content of a large pot poured over it as those that had been cooking had been taken by surprise. There were a mere two corpses though, which was a good sign. Or a bad, if it's slavers...it would complicate matters. One lay at the doorway to one of the ruined buildings, his body burnt to little more than bones, the other lay by the camp-fire, ripped open from groin to throat, his eyes missing as a raven sitting by his head took flight with a sated caw.
"Don't think so..." He finally answered, his gaze, and then finger, finding the second corpse and pointing at the silver ring on his finger. "...they would have taken that, maybe the Dalish? They hate humans and I've heard they're nearby." Garrett made a mental note to remind himself about contacting them, Flemeth was not someone you wanted to go back on a deal with...dangerous elves or not. Eugh, as if I haven't had enough of elves...
"They don't usually attack settlements..." Aveline retorted, making Garrett open his mouth to question her definition of 'settlement', only for her to then point at the mine entrance itself, rising slightly above the camp. "Hey, isn't the gate down and locked? Maybe the miners are still there?"
Garrett looked up, and could indeed see a steel gate. The grilled bars were rusty and looked as if they were ready to fall apart at any moment, but they were indeed closed, and the lock on it looked new, and more importantly, still locked. "It's a possibility..." He frowned. I don't like the situation...it's too quiet. "Bethany, Varric, you stay back here on the hill, keep low among the trees. Carver, stay with them for now, just in case..." He frowned at Carver's grumbled complaint, but didn't honour it with a response, Carver would do as he was told. "Aveline, we'll carefully move forward, see what's out there."
"Shields up and eyes peeled." Aveline muttered, then nodded. "Fair enough." Getting up, she freed her shield. "You coming?"
"Always." Garrett smoothly rose, drawing shield and sword with practised movements before moving forward, Aveline at his left side.
Ahead, nothing moved.
Aveline's heavier armour creaked painfully loudly to Garrett's ears as they moved down the forested hill and towards the camp, shields and eyes constantly moving, shifting to protect themselves from any angle even as they tried to detect anything dangerous.
Nothing met them though.
Too quiet...
Garrett glanced back at the tree-line, a worm of worry in his gut as he hesitantly put words to what had been bugging him. "Aveline...isn't the forest awfully...quiet?"
"Well...I saw that one raven..." Aveline responded, the hesitation in her voice betraying her worry.
Ahead, something moved.
The warriors came together, shields locking together to face the charge...only to realise the movement was what seemed to be a lot of workers appearing on the other side of the gate to the mine, their waving hands frantic.
Exchanging a look with Aveline, Garrett felt his shoulders slump in relief as Aveline moved forward, raising her voice. "Don't worry! We're here to-"
A roar cut her off.
Eyes wide, they saw part of the mountain above the entrance to the Bone Pit move, or rather, the creature that had moulded itself to it.
With sinuous grace, the creature, as large as two horses, slid off the mountainside and dropped down before the Bone Pit gate, making the miners within stumble back into the darkness. Its eyes were fixed on Aveline though, a dark ember of hunger within them. Its scales were a motley grey and atop the sinuous body two tiny vestigial wings existed, which in no way drew the attention away from the massive claws atop its feet.
"Dragon!" Aveline shouted the unnecessary warning even as the creature hurtled forward, another roar escaping it.
Drake, actually.
It felt unreal as the correction entered Garrett's mind. Considering how the Dragon age had started very recently, he had figured it interesting to read up on the creatures back in Lothering, which made him able to figure out the gender of this beast, but he had never thought he'd see one...
Especially not to watch it leap up as it charged at a tiny-looking Aveline!
Garrett stood transfixed, too stunned to move...and then Bianca sang, the crossbow slamming a bolt into the drake's head, just underneath its jaw.
The roar of the creature was cut short by the attack, only to be followed by a crash as it fell forward, knocking Aveline underneath its massive weight even as the tip of her sword appeared through its back with a crunch.
A wail rose from the creature, its claws ineffectually tearing at the ground and its head thrashing back and forth as blood poured out from its mouth, more of it pouring out underneath it as the sword lodged within it was tearing its wound ever larger by its own actions.
"Get this ploughed thing off me!" Aveline cursed, her voice tinged with pain, breathlessness and anger. Garrett saw the woman try to push the creature aside with the shield that was squashed between her and it, but she could simply not get any leverage on the beast inadvertently crushing her in its throes of agony. "Now!"
Finally shaking off the shock, Garrett ran forth, or rather, sprinted in a circling motion so as to hit the drake's side.
Sword first, he slammed into its flank, the blade punching through scales, between ribs and deep into its body. It rolled away from the blow, and Garrett was pulled along as he tripped over a gasping Aveline, the world spun around him before he was hurled to the ground with a crash, his sword still in his hands as he slid away from the bowled over drake.
A drake simply laying there, silent.
Garrett blinked, not quite realising what they just had done as a ragged cheer reached them from beyond the Bone Pit. Struggling to his feet, he found himself looking over the body at Aveline as she brushed herself off, looking somewhat miffed as she shot him a glare. "You took your sweet time."
He only stared back.
"What?"
"Errr...you have a little something..." Garrett gestured at his face, struggling not to smirk. "...all over you..."
Aveline sighed and moved a hand down to her belt...only to find the cloth tucked into it as soaked in dark blood as the rest of her was. It was covering the front of her armour, her neck, her face, a whole lot of it had caked her hair into an tangled mess where no single strand could be picked out. An annoyed growl escaped Aveline's mouth as she touched the part in question, her forehead creasing in a frown. "Great, as if I don't have to wash it enough with all the Darktown patrols..."
A small puff of air escaped Garrett, making her look back at him, eyes narrowed.
It took a great force of will for Garrett not to let the stifled chuckle escape him. Instead he tried to focus at the task at hand. "Well, at least we were somewhat lucky, could have been much..."
Several shrill cries followed...and the rocks above the bone pit was suddenly alive with movement as deer-sized dragonlings appeared, rushing down like ants having caught a scent of an intruder.
"...worse."
A curse, and Aveline and Garrett stood shoulder to shoulder, the two putting themselves behind the dead drake as what could well be his young attacked. "Carver! Get down here! Varric! Bethany! Help!"
Instantly, Bianca sung once more, but the bolt harmlessly bounced against the rocky ground as Varric's attention was caught between so many targets. As such Bethany's fireball was more effective, the ball itself striking the foremost dragonling square in the chest before the explosion enveloped a further five.
But when the smoke cleared, only the foremost dragonling lay dead, the others trundling on like nothing had happened, the edges of their green scales smouldering like dying embers. Note, dragons don't much care about fire...useful to know if we survive. "Ice, Bethany, ice!" The first dragonling leapt over the dead drake even as Garrett called out the words...and then it instantly fell as his and Aveline's swords darted out from behind their shields, a quick thrust before going back into defensive guard...and the beast was dead.
Carver was less defensive.
Leaping over the drake, the man shouted a battle-cry that Garrett didn't catch the words off...and slashed at the dragonling trying to bite him.
A crunch...and everything above the jaw of the dragonling's head was sent flying. Carver spun with the swing...and his next swing took another dragonling in the throat, the blade slicing right through the beast's neck in a fountain of dark blood. A third leapt at his back...only to be struck by white light, making it stop mid-stride as its entire body was covered in a solid sheen of frost.
Carver glanced over at it, roared...and spun around to swing, the blade striking the creature's torso and shattering it into a pieces of frozen flesh with a sickening crunch.
Then Aveline and Garrett joined him. The woman crashed into a dragonling trying to jump at Carver's back, bowling it over with her shield and pressing a knee into it as she started to pummel it with the pommel of her sword. Meanwhile Garrett found himself slamming his own shield into the side of a dragonling's head, making it stumble past him and into Carver's waiting blade even as Garrett himself thrust his sword at a creature leaping at him, skewering it through the mouth as he let its momentum do the work for him.
Dragons, whatever the size, are still beasts. Garrett remembered what he had learnt well, and was not surprised when two more dragonlings, undaunted by their losses, threw themselves at him. One fell as Varric got his aim straight, the other fell as Garrett repeated his trick, letting the beast jump at him for a bite, only to impale itself as his blade entered its mouth.
Silence.
Air... Garrett leant on his knees as he looked over at the others, making sure they were okay even as he took deep breaths to calm his heart. Despite Aveline looking awful, they had come off surprisingly well. He exchanged a pleased nod with the woman as she pulled the pommel of her sword free from the crater in a dragonling's skull.
"Huh..." Carver muttered, the man poking a dead dragonling with his sword, looking a bit miffed. "...that was almost too-"
"Don't say it! I don't want a high dragon coming down because you challenge fate!" Aveline cut in, a note of panic in her voice, making Carver look guilty even as Garrett arched an eyebrow. You? Superstitious?
Aveline simply shot the drake a pointed look, then shrugged, offering a weak smile as the sounds of the gate opening and the cheers of the miners reached their ears.
Garrett caught himself smiling back.
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Garrett was...well...a little drunk.
Which was probably why he was smiling, despite not feeling as if he should.
It had all started well enough, the miners had been ecstatic at having been rescued, and when it was revealed that in particular the leader of the rescuers was Fereldian...well then they simply had to buy him a pint.
Garrett had, of course, not been interested. He had better things to do, like collect his reward, find other jobs, get his sister away from some of the more leering miners, help mother with dinner...
Then Varric had gently suggested that perhaps allowing them to do this would make the word about his deed go out further, that coming off as distant to those you get paid for helping wouldn't help to get jobs...and after that the details were a bit fuzzy.
So they had gone to a tavern. It hadn't been the Hanged Man, so the ale was poor, but there had been a lot of miners, and each wanted to buy him at least one drink...and after a while the stuff hadn't tasted so bad...
I see where I went wrong there.
Garrett nearly giggled at his thought, but controlled himself, the smile endured though, despite his current situation.
The cheerful miners were behind him. A few were softly chanting his name, no doubt the alcohol being partly to blame for it. Before him though, his employer stood. Hubert looked a bit surprised as he gazed at Garrett, probably because he had expected to get a professional back, not a man listing ever so slightly...but other than that he looked pleased.
And pleased is good...very good...goodish... Garrett blinked, forcing himself to focus.
"Dragons, you say?" Hubert rubbed his chin. "That is...well extraordinary, and they're all dead, you say?"
"Every single one!" One of the miners exclaimed exuberantly, putting two big hands on Garrett's shoulders and giving it a shake. "You should have seen it, this guy personally wrestled the biggest one to the ground with his bare hands!" Garrett smiled at that, he was pretty sure that hadn't happened, but he wasn't about to argue the details when he was in no state to remember them.
"Indeed?" Hubert didn't look convinced, but his gaze moved over the cheering miners and something behind his eyes flashed, something making Garrett straighten as he tried to sober himself up. "Well, Hawke, seems I got quite a deal with you, dragon slaying...your payment." The trader dropped a pouch in Garrett's hands, then put a hand around Garrett's shoulders as he said. "Oh and could I...talk with you for a moment...privately?"
"Of course, Ser." Garrett responded, sobering up even more as he offered the miners behind him a thumbs up before letting Hubert drag him a bit away from them. "What may I help you with?"
"Listen...these miners are...well...not very motivated at times." Hubert muttered, head bent low as he spoke to Garrett, making him bend his head as well. "...I admit I'm no good in dealing with...people...but they love you, just knowing you have their back will make them work harder. And considering dragons have infested the mine once before...it would be good to have someone capable of clearing out danger with an interest in doing just that."
"What are you saying, Ser?" Garrett asked, befuddled, his normally sharp mind still moving a bit sluggishly.
"I'm saying that I appreciate working with a man capable of fighting dragons." Garrett now remembered quite clearly that nothing as large as an actual dragon had been fought...but he wasn't about to argue. "I'm saying that I appreciate having workers feeling safe and motivated...I'm saying that's worth money to me..." Garrett blinked, the alcohol almost forgotten at that moment. "...say...twenty-five percent of any future profits? Of course we have to have it in writing...but what do you say, some protection and meetings with the odd miner and you earn a steady sum?"
Garrett struggled not to stare at the trader, to not reveal his shock...or the hunger in his heart, the greed.
Judging by Hubert's face, he wasn't very good at it. "I say...you have a deal Ser."
"Great." Hubert took Garrett's hand, giving it a firm shake before turning around, and still holding Garrett's hand, raising it up at the sky. "Listen up boys, Hawke here has agreed to work with me, never will you have to worry about what's waiting you at work again!"
The cheer rose high and loud, the men raising fists in the air at the news, a few started chanting, a chant which was swiftly picked up by the others. "Another round! Another round! Another round!"
They looked at him, expectantly, as did Hubert, the trader smirking as he released Garrett and gave him a push towards the workers.
Well...one more can't hurt, I'm sure mother will forgive me coming home in a state when she hears of our new income... Smiling, Garrett shrugged and moved to join the miners.
Who cheered, dragging him off towards that delicious ale...
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Thanks to Abydos Jackson for all her hard work.