Garrett was concerned.
Marching forward as fast as his legs would allow without breaking into a jog, he frowned, knowing his haste would probably be for naught.
The Wounded coast was as beautiful as it had been the last time Garrett had seen it. It was still a warm summer, though there was a chill in the wind holding a promise of the short autumn the Free Marches had before the mostly wet winter came... but so far there were green leaves on the few trees and shrubs littering the dunes and cliffs, and thankfully so, since the expedition would leave – Hawkes or no – in the winter months. That was only partially on Garrett's mind though, mostly he chose to focus on the present, the part he could affect.
The Magistrate who had hired him had only promised payment if Garrett was the one actually retrieving his son, simply searching would yield no reward. And now he'd heard the city guard had found the boy before him, which meant they were going there simply on Varric's hunch that the guards not yet having returned meant they might actually have trouble retrieving the boy. I shouldn't have wasted time on Flemeth, though then again, I could hardly have expected the guard to actually be competent for once... this smells like Aveline's doing. At the thought, though it might mean he'd arrive to see himself losing his reward, Garrett hurried just a little faster. It's been too long, will be nice to see one of the few dependable people I know again.
At his back, his companions followed... though not all of them. Anders was, as he usually was, busy. Isabela and Fenris both required payment for a job like this, and even if Garrett did get his reward to pay them with, it was a bit too small to justify that expense. It's just getting a boy, how hard can it be?
Varric was the one closest to him – though Garrett now noticed the dwarf had to jog to keep up, and slowed down a bit for the man's benefit – and was smirking up at him. "So what do you think, Hawke? Fairly good pay and a job that'll secure you some recognition, am I good or what?"
"If we can get our reward." Garrett corrected. "And even so, it's not that great, two gold is indeed nothing to sneer at, but it's hardly the Viscount's treasury. Still, you're right, I must admit that meeting you has been the best thing that happened to my family since we arrived in Kirkwall."
"Oh stop it, you're making me blush." The dwarf made a shoving gesture at the air between them, as if wishing to push Garrett away, though his grin said otherwise. "As for the reward... you've clearly not seen the Viscount's treasury..."
"And you have?" Garrett countered, somewhat amused by his... he supposed the dwarf had earned the title of 'friend'. Though I must remember that friends come and go... just in case my family needs it. "No wonder it's so empty then."
A chuckle exploded from Varric. "Oh-ho! A joke!? From you? Should I expect the coming of the Maker any moment now?"
"I do believe that'll take longer, as our Qunari friends are ample proof of." Garrett was no great believer. That is, he didn't believe in the Chantry's words, it had been too much of a threat, too much of a danger, for him to hold any love for them and their false words of love for your fellow man. But Bethany had told him of the Black City in the Fade, always in the distance yet very real, and everyone knew of demons... who was to say there was no Maker? It was the Chantry that spoke of the Maker returning once the chant of light had spread to all corners of the world though... for only when everyone sang it, He would hear their call for forgiveness for sullying His creation... so Garrett did take that part with a grain of salt.
"Not to mention our other friend." Varric added, nodding back at the next one in the group.
Garrett frowned at the sight of the elf, his usual suspicion of her kin clinging to him like a wet cloak. She had promised to use no blood magic if magic was required, and she had asked for no reward but what he gave her... but he suspected both her promise and her play at innocence would crumple once challenged. Still, with no real promise of payment, he had chosen to take her along to see if she was of any use, and to keep an eye on her. To him, she fell at the same category as Fenris and Isabela, he found their opinions alien, their behaviour unsettling... and in Merrill's case it was even dangerous. For while bigotry against mages was all too common, and irresponsibility could be contained when watched carefully, the casual use of magic and disgusting blood magic was downright madness. Bloody elf. "You mean the Dalish gods? I must confess, I know little about them." Not like the Chantry in Lothering was big on carrying 'heretical' texts.
"Ah, so you don't dismiss them as fiction like most?" Varric arched an eyebrow, curious.
Garrett could only shrug. "Given my reasoning to believing the Maker exists, there is little I can say that argues against them existing too. It would be silly of me to off-handedly deny the existence of one god simply because I believe in another."
"Huh, with a reasoning like that, the Dales would still exist and there would have been no Exalted Marches on the Qunari... history books would be even more boring than they are now."
"They aren't boring, but you're entitled to your opinion." Garrett replied, drawing a chuckle from the dwarf as his gaze lingered on the elf behind them. She was staring around herself with large eyes, as if she'd never seen the sea... though the way her face turned a little greener, maybe she did have some experience with it? Though I suppose with eyes large as that, she looks innocent and amazed no matter what... elves are hard to read. Maybe she has never seen a beach? He shook his head, it was of no consequence. If she proves she's not a complete danger, I might ask her off her gods, might be interesting to learn of them...t hough not sure if sating my curiosity is worth it if it gives Carver more opportunities to fawn.
At the thought, Garrett's gaze moved further back to his siblings, his eyes catching sight of Bethany kneeling down by the side of the path they were following, the woman looking thoughtful as she pinched a blue flower by the stem and pulled off the bud.
Anders had been teaching Bethany a bit of alchemy and various herbs, which Garrett whole-heartedly approved of. He still saw the possessed mage as a danger, but he had been unable to deny Bethany's request to learn things from him once his sister had used her big brown eyes on him. Still, if his sister learnt to make various poultices to help with her poor healing magic, who was he to argue? Besides, if things somehow didn't pan out as planned with their search for wealth in the Deep Roads, her knowing a profession as a healer would be handy.
Carver was still following though, gaze fixed on Merrill a few feet ahead of him, making Garrett sigh. He knew he couldn't change Carver's appetite for companionship with the fairer sex, but there were far better choices of women to pursue, something harmless like a serving wench, a guards-woman, a human...not a bloody elven blood-mage! Garrett had seriously considered leaving Carver behind to help and guard mother instead of Maric... but he knew if he had, Carver would have been offended, and Garrett didn't have the strength to deal with that today.
Plus, if Garrett had to be honest, Maric was a more reliable guard who wouldn't look twice at their stash of money.
At least he's not staring at her rear. Garrett noted, though the thought held a kernel of worry, for Carver was looking at the back of Merrill's head, at the curve of her neck...and that struck Garret as almost more worrying than if he'd been leering at her as he had with some women back at Lothering. Eugh, maybe I could have mother have a talk with him? I'm not a good choice for explaining why certain women – even when it's blatantly obvious why an elven blood-mage would be dangerous – would be bad for him, he'd get defensive with me...again.
"So..." Merrill interrupted his thoughts, the elf moving to catch up with him and Varric, eyes large and curious. "...what's a magistrate?"
"A judge, Daisy." Varric quickly replied, smiling at her like everyone but Garrett seemed to like to do. I don't see why though... The woman was pretty, he supposed, for an elf, but Garrett wasn't about to forget what she was simply because she acted all innocent and tried to be 'adorable', as Bethany had called it.
"One of the two of Kirkwall, they're minor nobles paid a stipend to deal with crimes among the commoners, mostly running courts for major crimes or those where the question of guilt is in question." Garrett added, ignoring the amused glance Varric shot him at knowing the specifics. People know too little of those that govern them, whether in Ferelden or Kirkwall, I feel... "And as I said, we're here to rescue his son."
"Really?" Varric asked with a teasing tone. "I thought we were here to arrest a dangerous criminal and fugitive to bring back to prison."
"Oh? We're looking for two people?" Merrill asked cheerfully, though her tone dulled as she continued. "Though that second one sounds a bit scary..."
"They're one and the same." Garrett grunted as Varric chuckled in amusement. "The Magistrate only spoke of the fugitive though, it was Varric who found out the man is actually the Magistrate's son." He shrugged. "I'm assuming the boy is a bit of an embarrassment with his crimes and that his father wants him locked up." I'd never accept that happening to any in my family...though Varric hinted at that the Magistrate wanted him locked up for his own safety...damn, that's a difficult position to be in.
"Oh? What did he do?" Merrill asked, both her and Garrett turning a questioning look to Varric.
The dwarf grimaced. "You really don't want to know...it's not pretty."
"It's not important anyway." Garrett shrugged. "We were hired to get him back to his cell, so that's what we're going to do." For money and to get our name out there for legitimate business.
That's when they crossed the final ridge, finally allowing them to see the destination an off-duty sergeant – with far too big a mouth, according to Aveline – of the Guard had pointed them to.
The guardsmen had actually made a bit of an entrenched camp. Though small, only containing four white tents large enough to hold a few men, the ground had been ditched around it and sharpened stakes lined the inner side of of the mound that the thrown dirt had created on the inside of the ditch, promising pain to anyone too eager to cross. It looks like a somewhat sloppy military camp, probably to fend of bandits... yes, this has to be Aveline, no doubt she's whipped the other guardsmen into making this, and lead by example.
Built at the base of a low mound of rubble, the camp nearly hid the entrance to a cave, as did the guardsmen now lining the dirt mound to face the approaching group... and both the sight of the cave and the wary guardsmen filled Garrett's heart with hope. They don't have him, they're besieging him. Though the thought made him frown too. But why?
Gesturing at the others not to reach for any weapon or similar, though none really needed the urging, Garrett slowed the pace, letting the guardsmen get a good look on the group as they approached. In mere moments, a familiar voice called out though. "Stand down, guardsmen! They're with me!" Shouldering her way past two men returning their arrows into their quivers, Aveline's auburn hair appeared at the top of the mound, her face somewhat hard to make out at that distance, but her tone positive. "Hawke! I recognize your family and dwarf anywhere, get over to the gate and I'll let you in!"
"Your dwarf?" Varric muttered, though loudly enough for everyone to hear. "What am I, the Hawke mascot?"
Bethany, naturally, giggled at the joke. The rest of the group smiled as they moved to where the woman was pointing.
The 'gate' turned out to be a collection of thorny bushes mounted up on a crudely axed skeleton of wooden planks nailed together to form something resembling a bench without a seat, enough to deter animals and the like, but hardly a real gate. As it was pulled aside by a pair of guardsmen, Garrett found himself facing Aveline, their hands gripping each other by the forearm as they exchanged a smile. Noticing Garrett's glance at the defenses, the woman was the first to speak. "There's always bandits around here, as you know, and I don't really want to face them without something in my favour." A hint of a grimace, and she leant closer, her breath brushing Garrett's face as she whispered. "Captain Jeven has given me a bunch of green bastards of merchants dressed up in plate. I'm not sure what he expects me to do with them here though, they barely know how to hold their weapons..."'
There was bitterness in her words, bitterness and a hint of cinnamon in her breath. Garrett released his grip on her and took a step back. "I always say it's best to come prepared, you won't hear any arguments from me." He looked around himself. The guardsmen were sitting by a pair of fires, cooking up what had to be their lunch in a large pot, one roasting a fat squirrel on a stick. Most looked intent on their food or the odd musical instrument they returned to, though some shot the group curious looks, mostly out of boredom, Garrett guessed."I'm surprised you're still here though, I'm guessing our man is in that cave? You have twenty guards here, surely you could go get him?"
"Twenty-two, actually." Aveline grumbled, shooting a thumb at one of the tents. With Garrett directing his attention there, he could hear a low moan escape it, one of a woman in pain. "I had to call off the hunt here after our first attempt to enter. Shouted myself hoarse just trying to get these fools to stop routing and pick up their wounded comrades, no way they'll join in another attack." Looking over at the largest group hurdling around their pot with wooden bowls in hand, she frowned, a low growl escaping her. "When we get back, I'm going to put some iron back into their spines... or break them trying..."
Garrett smiled at that, easily imagining the woman training the guardsmen to exhaustion for days until they toughened up. She'd done so with a few of them already, he'd heard. "You really ought to be the Captain of the Guard, you'd do it better than Jeven."
"A donkey could do it better than Jeven." Aveline snorted, arms crossed over her chest...and then finally noticed the elf standing with the group, though the woman was partially hidden behind Varric, watching the many armed humans with eyes wide as saucers. "And who's this? A Dalish?" Aveline arched an eyebrow at Garrett in question.
Who kept a neutral look on his face as he courteously gestured at the elf. "Aveline, this is Merrill, of the Dalish, First to the Keeper. Merrill, this is Aveline Vallen, sergeant of the Kirkwall Guard."
"First of the...?" Aveline begun, eyes scrutinizing the slim elf, eyes darting to her back, noticing the absence of a bow, then the simple wooden staff in the Dalish' hands... and then turning a questioning look to Garrett. "How do you find these people, Garrett?"
He shrugged, mouth a thin line. What can I say?
Varric was eager to supply the answer though, the dwarf chuckling. "I like to think they find him, actually, makes for a more amusing tale." Aveline shot the smirking dwarf an annoyed look.
Then Merrill finally gathered enough courage to speak up, her voice thin. "It's... nice to meet you, Aveline... I... I like your hair?"
The guards-woman actually blinked. "My hair?" A hand moved up, briefly touching the ginger strands pulled back by a red headband. "Well thank you, that's a first..." I like it too, actually. Garrett held his tongue though, not about to make the conversation weird. "Anyway, any friend of Hawke is a friend of mine." She offered her hand.
"Even Isabela?" Varric shot in, making a bark of a laugh escape Carver.
Aveline wisely ignored the barb as she firmly gripped Merrill's hesitant hand, giving it a firm shake. "I'm guessing you're trying to earn some money helping Hawke, eh? Well stay close to me and you'll be okay, my training lends itself to protect your... kind." She shot Bethany a look to amplify her point. "Though... aren't you a bit young for this? Sorry, but you don't look like a fighter."
"I... I'm twenty-three, actually." Merrill replied, blinking her large eyes. Huh, I wouldn't have guessed, elves look so similar to one another unless they're really old... Then she smiled, a big smile that made Aveline smile back. Huh, there it is again, what do they see that I don't? "And I'm not really a fighter...I don't like hurting people...but... well I kind of don't know what else to do and I feel I owe Hawke some help after he helped me... I mean he didn't really help as much as he did what Asha'bellanar had asked him to and..." She blinked as she noticed Varric's gentle smile, face flushing. "...and I'm babbling, sorry."
"It's okay." Aveline replied, then turned her attention back to Garrett, curiosity of the elf sated. "Anyway, yes, so after our abysmal attempts to pursue the criminal, we're out here, waiting him out." The woman grimaced. "I hate it, to be honest, he had a hostage with him, bet she's dead now... likely he is too, but you try telling that to the Magistrate."
"I take it he wasn't the one stopping you from pursuing?" Garrett crossed his arms over his chest.
"Nah, there's animals in that cave, wounded two of my people pretty bad and sent the others scampering off like a bunch of ten year olds..." Aveline spat at the ground in disgust. "I bet the beasts have killed him and the hostage, but I can't say for sure, so here we're staying until he comes out or someone arrives to resolve it..." She offered Garrett a small smile. "Someone who could do with another blade, I think."
"Of course." Garrett offered a small smile back. "Now, what animals are we talking about? A pack of wolves have made their den there or something? A bear or two?"
"Nah, spiders."
"Spiders?" Garrett echoed, a cold shiver running down his spine, a lump in his throat. "What kind of spiders..." Behind him, he heard Carver snicker.
Aveline looked back at him, face blank. "The giant ones, obviously. You know, big as a dog."
"Oh." Garrett felt a shudder of – though it was ridiculous when he thought about it – relief run through him. "Yes, obviously."
"Are you okay?" Aveline asked, looking perplexed.
His snicker rising in volume, Carver couldn't keep his peace. "Garrett's afraid of spiders... the little ones!"
Gritting his teeth, Garrett found his hands clenching into fists. "I'm not afraid of them..." He took a deep breath, sensing Varric's quiet amusement as well as Bethany's struggles not to join Carver in his snickering. "... I just find them... repulsive..." Always hairy, so bloody hairy, in my face, coming at my eyes... He shook the memory aside.
"Ah." Aveline looked somewhat amused by the idea, but mercifully pushed the look aside with a shrug. "Well he isn't the first, I don't see the funny side."
"Yes, why is it so funny?" Merrill asked, and Garrett saw her large eyes looking at Carver as he turned to watch the exchange.
Carver seemed somewhat uncomfortable being asked such a direct question, but then managed a conspiratory grin, taking the opportunity to move closer to the elf as with a smirk he replied. "Well it's not simply him being scared of them, it's how you use it... once I put this big hairy one right on his pillow..." He laughed aloud. "He screamed like a girl when he woke up!"
Garrett glared at his brother, though before he could snap a retort, Merrill took a step back with yet larger eyes. "Why would you do that!? If you knew he was scared of them, I mean..."
Garrett rolled his eyes. Great, I'm being defended by an elf... Bethany spoke up before either brother could reply though. "Oh that's nothing, when I was younger I used to braid my hair, he loved to wake me up by nailing it to my bed..." She rolled her eyes, but shot Carver a gentle smile to take the sting out of her accusing words.
Merrill didn't seem to see the smile though, she only heard the words, and stared at Carver as if he were a three-headed horse. "I thought Garrett and Bethany were your siblings? Don't you... don't you like them?" She frowned, confused.
Carver shifted where he stood, now clearly uncomfortable. "Well... of course I do. I don't know... I was young and it was... well... funny."
"Well..." Merrill smiled, a friendly and polite smile. "...I'm glad young you had fun at least."
The implication behind the friendly words seemed to make Carver shrink, the man looking ashamed as he turned his gaze aside, forcing a smile. "Erm... thank you..."
Heh... Somewhat amused by the turn of events, especially by Carver essentially having ruined his chances of charming the blood-mage with his own words – I hope it stays that way – Garrett turned towards the cave and drew his by now somewhat worn sword. "Good, now that you two are done, maybe we can focus on retrieving our criminal." And get the gold promised. He began marching forward, feeling calm as he considered the opposition. Large spiders aren't too bad, the tunnel will likely be too narrow for them to flank us unless we miss any in the ceiling, we'll do this slow and methodically, I think. "Aveline, you coming?" I better not look too close at their webs though, might be smaller ones there... not that I'm afraid, but still...
"You try and stop me." The woman growled, ignoring the stares of her guardsmen as she marched past him and towards the cave.
Heh. Garrett eagerly followed.
8
8
8
The large spider leapt at him.
Garrett's buckler – he still didn't find the small shield comfortable – met the creature though, smashing a metal rim into its many eyes, momentarily stunning it and knocking it down to the ground so it couldn't even try to brush aside his thrusting sword. A crunch, and the now severely notched blade punched into its maw, tip exploding out the back of its head in a shower of viscera.
A moment later, he took a step back and jerked his blade free, his boot kicking aside the twitching insect as he prepared to face the next one.
The smaller spiders pulled back though, hissing at one another as the scrambled backwards.
Yet there was no escape, the chamber they had fled to ending with a door that had mould growing on it, yet was solid enough to withstand the scratching of the insects as they tried to flee.
Holding up his shield, Garrett halted the group's advance.
So far so good.
But now though...
There had been no sign of Kelder, forcing the group to move further in, past thick strands of spiderweb clinging to the walls, cutting some aside when it blocked their path, but generally cutting down spiders throwing themselves at the group.
The path had been narrow though, and Garrett had been attentive, twice having made Varric shoot down spiders from the ceiling waiting to pounce on them. Mostly it had been a grind though, Aveline and he had held the front with shield and sword while Carver had stood just behind them, using his longer blade more like a spear than a sword to impale any creature trying to get a bite in. Behind them, Varric had picked off those spiders trying to use the walls to attack from the side, and Bethany had let fire pour from her fingertips whenever a large group of insects opposed them... and spiders apparently did not endure fire well. As to Merrill... so far she had hardly been needed, though after she had nearly deafened them all – not to mentioned nearly made the cave collapse – by throwing what looked like a lightning bolt from her staff, she had blushed and settled for magically sending great piles of stones into the odd spider, cracking their carapace like eggs or sending them flying back with hisses of pain and anger.
Still, there being no reason for her to prove herself was a good thing, and Garrett wasn't about to complain at the thought of their grind finally coming to an end... though now he was conflicted as to what to do as the spiders turned back to face them, hissing in defiance as they waited for the group to advance.
"What now?" Aveline asked, thinking the same thing he was.
So far, the narrow cave had allowed their compact formation to crush anything in their path, the solid stone underneath gave good footing and the narrow corridor stopped the spiders from attacking them in any way that was an actual threat.
Yet ahead the cave widened to a broad chamber, brown dirt with some tufts of moss covering the ground making Garrett wonder just how reliable the footing would be... especially when facing the dozen remaining spiders.
"Fireball, maybe?" Garrett frowned, not liking his own suggestion. The heat would likely lash back at them in the cave, and the force of impact might well cause the somewhat brittle-looking walls to come down. "No, I don't like it."
"Well I don't like being flanked by a poisonous spider..." Aveline muttered back.
Good point. Maybe Varric can simply pick them off? Though I bet they'd hide in those cracks in the walls then...
Before them, the spiders hissed in defiance, sensing the group's hesitation to advance, though they were animals, they themselves didn't advance, instinct perhaps telling them they'd do best waiting.
"I can help." Merrill spoke up, though hesitantly. Garrett looked back her, frowning in anger. I knew it, damn elven promises, no blood-magic, she says and then- She put up her hands defensively, eyes wide. "No, no, nothing of... that... but I can keep them in place... well... most of them..." Huh...we'll see.
Still frowning, Garrett took a deep breath. "Very well... try."
Taking a step forward, coming up next to a curious-looking Carver, Merrill gripped her staff with both hands and pressed the point against the ground, lips moving in a low whisper, a shimmer of green energy coiling around the wood.
"What's 'that'?" Aveline muttered, voice so low she had to lean closer to ask.
Garrett opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, he saw movement ahead.
The ground... it seemed to be... crawling, like the dirt was coming alive...
Then green vines shot out from under the ground, slim, yet twined like living rope, they appeared right under the spiders... and lashed on to them.
Hisses nearly like shrieks, six of the spiders were pulled down onto the ground, legs unable to push them up as vines gripped their carapace. Another two spun and jumped where they stood, several of their legs caught by the vines.
Seeing his chance, Garrett moved before even giving the word. "Now!"
He didn't need to say it twice.
Aveline met the charge of two of the free spiders, shield bashing one onto its back as another dodged her thrusting sword, only for the gauntlet holding the weapon to crash into the side of its head, sending it stumbling back and giving the woman the respite she needed to thrust the weapon into the stomach of the one she'd bashed with her shield.
The spider coming at Garrett skittered forward... and then stopped, shrieking as its forelegs clawed at its head, the remaining legs stumbling, as if it was drunk. Behind him, he barely heard Merrill's voice. "Sleep..."
"Let me help it with that!" Carver gleefully shouted as he ran into Garrett's path, greatsword coming down, separating both forelegs and head from the insect's body in one swing as the man himself turned his grin towards the elf.
Bloody hell! Not letting the man have his moment of impressing the elf, Garrett jumped forth and shoved the man back with his weapon-arm as the last free spider leapt for the man's neck. His weapon out of position from the shove, his shield equally so from his sudden advance, Garrett instead met the leaping creature with his boot.
A crunch, and the insect fell onto its back, carapace broken just underneath its mandibles, making green blood pour out as the spider's legs furiously kicked like crazy while a wailing hiss escaped it. It looked very much like its smaller counterparts when wounded, all random movements as it lost all coordination.
Garrett's foot, already raised from his kick, came down hard, ending its struggles by crushing its surprisingly soft skull.
"Thanks..." Garrett barely heard Carver's sheepish word, too furious with the fool to offer him even a glance. Try and impress all you want during practice, but never in combat! Father told you that! I've told you that! Instead Garrett strode forward even as the spider Aveline had punched reeled back, a crossbow bolt deep in its body, its pained hiss ending quickly as another punched into its head.
Bethany, her hands aglow, strode past Garrett before he could put his sword to use on the still pinned spiders... and let flames spew forth, consuming all of them.
Eight spiders hissed and thrashed, the vines holding them smouldering, their carapace crumpling, eyes drying up in their skulls as their insides cooked, making a hissing sound that reminded Garrett of boiling crayfish...
And then it was over, Bethany lowering her hands with a grimace, nose wrinkling at the smell of burnt carapace – that Garrett thought smelled surprisingly much like burnt chicken – and then a little smile appeared on her lips. "Maker, that felt good..."
"What did?" Merrill asked, sounding perplexed even as Garrett grimly took stock.
No one injured, nothing but maybe a bruise or two and all being a bit tired... and Carver deserving a good shouting at when we're back in the privacy of our home.
"Oh just stretching my magical muscles, that's all..." Bethany admitted, sounding somewhat meek as Garrett sensed her sending him a guilty look.
Garrett was too angry about Carver's idiocy to care about Bethany enjoying being able to cast magic though, as long as she did it only when necessary, why would he be angry with her? So he ignored her look, as well as his brother's worried one – knowing he was in trouble – as the man got to his feet. Instead Garrett strode over the burnt spiders and towards the door, his mood dark as he struggled not to think of what could have happened if he hadn't shoved Carver aside. "Let's just get this over with."
Doing what the spiders couldn't, Garrett gripped the handle to the door and twisted it before pulling the door open.
Inside, old boards were covering the ground of a small chamber, the stone walls nearly covered with white candles in various states of being melted, though enough were lit to properly light the room. At the far end, a simple bed, its covers rumpled from use, stood, a small table standing next to it, a few bloodied knives strewn over it.
The room smelled of mould and blood... and Garrett, paling, saw why it smelled of the later.
The man on his knees in the middle of the room could be none but Kelder, though the son of a noble, he wore nothing but a pair of leather trousers. His bare chest was pale, every bone in his chest and arms showing clearly under his skin, yet there were also cords of twitching muscles, as if he was having a seizure.
In his arms, the naked hostage lay.
The elven girl couldn't have been more than fifteen, her skin even paler than the man's, starkly contrasting the red lines where the knives had cut into her. So many cuts... Her skin had been peeled back in places, making her seem like a patchwork, like a doll not yet finished. Yet for all those wounds, Garrett noticed the dark bruise over her neck, the marks of large hands, the way her windpipe seemed to have... vanished.
"Sh-she was s-so beautiful..." The man stuttered, his voice a whisper. "...too beautiful..." He didn't looked up, he simply shook back and forth where he knelt, his victim in his arms. "...th-the d-demons made me... Ma-Maker...d-deliver me f-from sin..."
"Maker...!" Bethany gasped, then her feet thumped against the ground as she stepped away, the sound of her retching following a moment later.
"Wh-what...?" Merrill asked, the rest of the question never coming.
"D-deliver m-me fr-from si-sin..."
"You want the Maker, eh!?" Carver exploded, the man making Aveline curse as he pushed past the frozen woman and a pale Varric. Garrett's brother raised his greatsword, advancing with large steps. "I'll take you to him!" His sword rose-
"No!" Garrett stepped forward, shield deflecting the blow that would have split Kelder in two, though the man didn't even seem to notice as he remained where he was, staring at the elf as if she was the only one in the room.
"What are you doing!?" Carver snarled at Garrett, rage in his eyes. "Don't you see-!"
"I see perfectly fine!" Garrett snapped back, glaring back as he moved closer until all he could see was his brothers eyes. "I see our charge, the one we're going to bring back to Kirkwall."
"You can't be serious!"
"I'm perfectly serious." Garrett growled back. "Now... step back."
Silence.
Then Carver, deflecting his gaze, stepped back, snorted, and marched out of the room in a huff, heading for his still retching sister.
Garrett, staring at the man's angry posture as he moved to comfort Bethany, sighed. I wish I could take the easy way like you so often want... As if hearing his thought, Aveline spoke up. "Are you sure about this, Hawke?" The look she gave him...Garrett found himself taking a deep breath at the sight.
Yet he calmly looked back, nodding. "Yes, I don't intend to make an enemy out of a Magistrate, nor murder someone when I can help it... I'm law-abiding now, remember?"
Snorting, the woman glanced down at the man still holding the butchered elf. "I could look the other way, if you want..." Then, she sighed, reluctantly nodding. "...but I guess you're right. Andraste's knickers though, I don't like this..."
"Who said it's about liking it?" Garrett asked, to which Aveline could only shake her head in weary agreement as she turned to walk over to Bethany and Carver.
Varric was still staring at the scene in front of him along with Merrill though, the former finally speaking up. "Damn, I heard he did these things to them, but seeing it in person... damn... you sure...?" Garrett frowned. "...right, take him with us, we'll do that."
Merrill, blinking furiously, turned her gaze to Varric, lips trembling. "Yo-you mean he do-does this a lot?"
The dwarf shrugged. "Elven girls, yes, it's his... ahem...t hing. This is his... eleventh, or so rumours say."
"Eleventh!?" Merrill shouted in horror, eyes wide.
"So pretty..." Glancing down, Garrett found Kelder having dropped the girl in his arms, eyes large as he looked up at Merrill. "...th-the de-demons want-"
Garrett found the back of his hand come down before he could stop himself, the disgust of what he'd seen finally getting the better of him. A crack, and the gauntlet of his hand smashed the side of Kelder's head, making him whimper as he collapsed onto his side, seemingly broken and harmless. Bet the girl thought so too... damn psychopath...
"You...you can't that thing live..." Merrill's lips were trembling, the elf looking down at Kelder with horror. "H-he'll kill again and again..."
"He'll be locked up, in prison." Garrett stoically replied. Huh, figured I'd have more of a fight with Carver than this meek one...
"He got out of prison." Merrill pointed out, a heat in her words, she looked up at him, eyes wide, tears in their corners. "And then he'll do it again... I... I know the Magistrate just wants to protect his son... b-but you have to think of the cla... I mean people in the city."
"Maybe, we can't know that." Garrett replied, frowning in annoyance.
"B-but think if he came and hurt your family..." Merrill replied, sounding hurt.
"He won't." Garrett calmly answered, confident in that, at least.
"Of course not, he kills elves." Again, the heat returned, Merrill's brows furrowing in anger. "Yo-you think you're better than elves?" Me? So far I've met no better...blood-mage. "I th-thought...the others in the clan exaggerated about the shem...the humans..."
Garrett growled, stepping closer and jabbing a finger in Merrill's direction. "Shemlen, eh? Don't say that and then accuse me of racism, this isn't about elves or humans."
"S-sorry, but it sure seems that way!" Merrill replied, a tremble in her voice even as she crossed her arms over her chest, not giving ground. "Elves are dying, s-so you do nothing, I th-thought Varric said you were he-helping people..."
"I do, within my limits." Garrett snapped back. "This isn't a charity, elf. I do this for the money to help my family and keep them safe, nothing else. If I can help others without it endangering my family, fine, but I won't risk those closest to me."
"Th-that's so...selfish." Merrill replied, eyes widening even more, hesitant. "Wh-what about ev-everyone else? Wh-what of th-those that he'll k-kill...?"
"You can't know he will get the chance again." Garrett growled, now seriously annoyed with the elf. Carver might disagree with me, but he bloody obeys when the one in charge gives an order! "But I know that he'll never harm any in my family. I know that if I kill him here, the Magistrate will be suspicious. I know that I'm but a bug to him, and that he'll not hesitate to ruin us if he thinks us responsible for his son's death."
"B-but m-more might di-die if you do-don't..."
"I. Don't. Care." Garrett growled, moving closer, glaring down at the elf...that finally shirked back a bit. "You might want to do what's best to your...clan...but you try to do that for a city of a million and you'll end up with nothing. People will use you, they'll exploit you and they'll hurt you, if you don't act with your own interest at heart."
"Th-that's..." Merrill swallowed, looking horrified as she took a step back. "...s-so sad..."
"It's reality." Garrett grunted, satisfied the elf was sufficiently cowed as he turned and grabbed Kelder by the arm, hoisting the trembling man to his feet. "Come here now, and don't even think to make trouble." Wrenching the man's arm behind his back, Garrett began pushing him towards the door.
He spared the lost-looking Merrill an annoyed glare though. "Welcome to Kirkwall."
8
8
8
Thanks to Abydos Jackson for climbing mountains for me.