The intervening years had brought peace and stability to his life. Most days he even slept peacefully. And yet he still couldn't stand to be below decks. Cullen leaned on the railing, looking out at the water. Almost eight years had passed since the last time he'd been to Kirkwall. He'd been a different man, then.

The ship rose and fell with the waves. His wife and kids were in the hold, having a nap. He hadn't been sure about bringing Kailey along on the voyage, but Minaeve and his wife both knew healing magic. Gavren was enjoying himself immensely, and he was starting to be concerned about the habits the boy might be picking up from the crew.

"There." He looked up from the water at the sound of Isabela's voice, and looked where she was pointing. He could just make out the sight of the cliffs.

"When was the last time you were back?" He glanced over at her.

"About two months ago." Isabela grinned. "Running books and tapestries for the Chantry. The Inquisitor is a very bad influence on my crew." She shook her head. "We haven't engaged in decent piracy since..." She caught the narrowing of his eyes. "Oh, never mind when." She leaned on the railing next to him. "It's changed and it hasn't."

"Suppose that's true of a lot of things." He straightened. "I'm going to go get Gavren. He wants to watch us head into the docks."

#

"Land." Duncan grabbed hold of some of the ropes and pulled himself up for a better view. "Look, Father, land." He rushed up to the front of the ship, followed by Jerath.

"Thank the Maker." Alistair took a deep breath. When he'd suggested bringing his son along, he hadn't quite considered that meant having the boy in a confined space for several uninterrupted days. He was fairly sure the crew was contemplating regicide. He glanced down at Saitada. "Was I -"

"Yes."

"I wasn't -"

"You told me you were raised by dogs."

"But -"

"You once went twelve days without bathing."

"That was -"

"You and Cathiel spent an afternoon going through every variation of plant-related pun available until Wynne of all people threatened your lives."

He folded his arms and glared at her for having a very good point. "At least I never summoned a dragon."

"No." Saitada shrugged. "You just charged in and let it stand on you."

Trian made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort of laughter. Alistair shook his head and turned to look at the other woman accompanying him. How Teyrna Anora managed to still look stately and composed after six days aboard a ship was a mystery for the ages. Her son was content to sit in a pile of ropes, out of the way, reading quietly.

Odd, how time could change things. Once, he'd nearly had the woman executed. Now, with Teagan recovering from a broken leg, she was the logical choice to bring as his diplomatic attache. Though he would have preferred to bring Teagan. What had the man been thinking, riding a tilt at his age? He chuckled ruefully. As if he wasn't only a few months shy of forty himself. And Saitada's once crimson hair was now half gone to silver. She was what, six years older than he was? He couldn't quite bring himself to ask.

He glanced back at Anora's son. Young Loghain. Another mystery for the ages. Anora had never confirmed nor denied any of the rumors concerning the paternity of her son. The Ferelden nobility had settled on Nathaniel Howe, a decision helped by the man's mysterious disappearance along with their former Warden-Commander. The latter for the second time.

The city began to rise before them. Kirkwall. The City of Chains. He should have a word with Varric about making the entrance into the bay look less... ominous.

#

Gabriel opened the door to find an elven girl. He glanced over his shoulder and called out to his daughter. "I found trouble."

Salla made an actual squealing sound as she flung herself down the stairs and into her best friend's waiting hug. Agatha laughed gleefully as she was dragged into the house and towards the kitchen. Gabriel just shook his head and closed the door. Orana was already pressing food on their guest. And Caleb, showing signs of self-preservation instinct, was nowhere to be seen. He turned to Fenris. "Varric asked us to meet the Inquisitor and some of the other incoming guests while he's seeing to the Divine."

Fenris nodded. "Shall we?"

"He also said to remind you that Magister Pavus is a friend, and to ask you to please leave his spine where you found it."

#

Ruya stepped off the ship into Dorian's hug. He planted a kiss on her cheek before doing a double take at the sight of Gavren. "Maker, last time I saw him, he was..." He glanced at Kailey. "Well, the size of that one."

"Iron Bull's already at the estate." She smiled up at Dorian. "Surprised you aren't there."

"Well, I intended to, but then a thought occurred to me." He shrugged. "I have no idea where your estate is."

"Actually..." Cullen shook his head. "Neither do we."

"And that's my cue." A familiar voice had them both turning to see Hawke and Fenris. "Inquisitor, always a pleasure." He gave a small bow. "Cullen."

A young man standing behind the Champion tilted his head at Kels. "What the hell is that on your face?"

Kels broke into a huge smile and strode forward to hug the man. "Caleb." He stepped back, and brushed a hand over his face proudly. "It's called a beard."

Hawke half turned. "Inquisitor, I don't believe you've met my son. Caleb, Inquisitor Trevelyan."

Caleb bowed. "Well met."

Fenris turned away from where he'd been talking to one of the dock workers, and joined them. Hawke spread his hands. "We are your official welcoming party, so welcome to Kirkwall. Or back to Kirkwall, as the case may be." He grinned. "Come, we'll show you to your estate. You'll love it. It's right next door to mine."

"Maker have mercy," Cullen muttered.

#

The ship jolted slightly as it came to a rest at the docks. Jerath caught Duncan and hauled him back before he ended up in the water. "Look at the statue." Duncan pointed. "That's the Champion." He stared up at the city. "Look at this place." He turned towards his companion. "I bet we could climb that."

"I bet your father would lock us in the dungeon if we tried." Jerath looked up at the city. Here and there were still signs of damage from when the Chantry had exploded. The new Chantry was visible, gleaming white in the sun.

"Whose that Father is talking to?" Duncan nodded to a tall, red haired woman.

"Guard-Captain Aveline, most likely." Jerath tilted his head. When the king signaled him, he collected his charge and the younger boy and brought them to the rest of the group. Loghain moved to dutifully follow his mother. Duncan kept pointing and starring at various things. He stopped to look at the statue. Jerath shook his head. "Duncan."

"How do you think they keep the fire burning?" Duncan dodged the attempt to grab his arm.

"Probably magic."

"Cause the Champion is a mage, right?" Duncan walked a circle around the statue. "Did he really cut off the Arishok's head?" He tilted his head. "Why'd they give him a sword if he's a mage?"

"I don't know. You could ask him." Jerath followed his prince as the boy went to read the placard.

"How come they don't mention that the Champion is Fereldan?" Duncan frowned at it. "He is, you know. He was even our court mage for while."

"I know. I was there." Jerath put a hand on Duncan's shoulder. "Come on, we've got to catch up with..." He looked back over his shoulder and saw no sign of the king or his retinue. "Shit."

"With shit?" Duncan looked up, then looked at where Jerath was looking. "Oh."

"Your father is going to kill me."

"If we catch up, maybe he won't notice." Duncan dashed in the direction he thought his father had gone.

"Duncan." Jerath chased after him.

#

Alistair made it to the steps before glancing over his shoulder. Loghain was walking next to his mother. And Jerath and Duncan were nowhere to be seen. Saitada caught his look and began looking around. "Shit."

"Problem?" Aveline asked when she realized they'd stopped.

"We are short one prince and one prince's second." Alistair began walking back to the docks.

"Loghain, did you see where the others went?" Anora looked down at her son. He shook his head.

"Anora, go with one of the guard up to Viscount's Keep in case they manage to get there."

"Yes, your majesty." Anora immediately began following the guard Aveline indicated.

He turned to look at Saitada. She nodded. "Trian and I will go left."

"I'll go right."

Aveline sighed. "I'll head back to the docks." She gestured for the other three guardsmen to start looking.

#

Iron Bull opened the door of the estate and stared down at Ruya. "Do you have an appoint..." He saw Dorian and stepped forward to pick the other man up in a giant bear hug. "Kadan." He carried a protesting Dorian into the house.

Ruya just rolled her eyes and went inside after him. The place was larger than she had expected. And something smelled delicious. She walked from the foyer into the great room.

"Hyaaaah." Someone leaped off the balcony, landed next to her, and gave her a huge hug and a sloopy kiss on the cheek.

She laughed. "Sera."

"Raven's up at Sundermount, checking in on the griffins. Should be home for dinner." Sera gestured. "Grand, innit?" She nodded to Hawke. "The Champion's lady filled the kitchen for us. You have got to try her little pie things. Eating, not throwing. That's later." She waved. "Cully Wully."

Hawke got a huge grin on his face as Cullen winced and shook his head. He glared at the Champion. "Don't."

"Too late." He snickered. "Cully Wully."

#

Duncan looked around the dark alleyway. "I think we took a wrong turn."

"We took several wrong turns." Jerath shook his head. "We need to go up."

"Well now." A voice came from behind them. "What have we here?" Several men stepped out of the shadows. Jerath immediately shoved Duncan behind him. The speaker smirked. "Couple lost little lords." The speaker glanced over his shoulder at his companions. "Think somebody'd pay us for their..." He grinned, showing a rotting tooth. "Recovery?"

He took a step forward, and Jerath drew his sword. "Get back."

The man laughed. "Well now, we've got a scrapper here. Put that down, boy, before I spank you with it."

Jerath began backing up, moving Duncan with him as he tried to look for an escape route. The man who'd spoken earlier drew a long knife. He lunged to grab Jerath's arm, and Jerath moved through one of the forms Kylon had so recently drilled into him. The blade slashed the man's arm, sending a spray of blood flying. The man snarled. "Run." Jerath called to Duncan. The younger boy obeyed immediately. Jerath parried the man's blow, and opened a wound in his leg. Another of the men tried to grab him, and he felt pain blossom along his side. He slammed the hilt of his blade into the man's face, and ran after the prince.

#

Gabriel nodded to the guard, and turned back to the hall. "Inquisitor, I'm afraid I must call this visit to a halt." He spread his hands. "Apparently, Prince Duncan went missing at the docks. They are trying to look for him without alerting the cities more unsavory elements."

Cullen immediately got to his feet. "We'll help."

Caleb gestured to Kels. "Kels and I can take some of the shortcuts we used to run, see if they got mixed in with the urchins."

He smiled. "Do so." He turned to Cullen and Ruya. "Well, Cully Wully, shall we give your wife a tour of Darktown?"

#

Duncan stumbled to a halt. "I think we..." He turned to his companion, and his eyes widened. "You're bleeding." His friend's side was stained red.

Jerath touched his side and winced. "It's not too deep, I don't think." He shook his head, swaying slightly as he did. "We need to head back up."

"No." A new voice said. "You need to get that looked at." A young man stepped out of the shadows. "Or you're going to bleed to death."

Once again, Jerath pushed Duncan behind him and put a hand on his sword. "Stay back."

The young man tilted his head, and peered at them through vivid green eyes. "If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have alerted you to my presence." He held out a hand, and fire appeared around it, lighting the area. "And your sword wouldn't do you much good. You really should sit down, or you're going to..."

Duncan gasped as his friend collapsed. "Jerath."

"Well, you're going to do that." The young man sighed and moved to Jerath's side. His fingers glowed white as he pressed them against the wound. "There." He looked up at Duncan, then back down at Jerath. "What did you call him?"

"Jerath."

The young man looked up at him and shook his head. "No, he's far too young to be Jerath."

He blinked. "He's always been Jerath."

"Has he?" The young man frowned. "Really?" He looked back down at the unconscious boy. "Then would you, by chance, be Duncan?"

"Yes." He gave the young man a confused look. "How did you know my name?"

"We've met." He frowned. "Or we will. Hard to keep track sometimes. It's all shifting. I think I'm too early."

"Too early for what?"

"But then if I wasn't here..." The young man chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. "Well, that's a very good point." He laughed. "If I wasn't too early, I would be far too late." He bent, and picked Jerath up. "Come on. Let's get you home."

"Home is Ferelden." Duncan picked up Jerath's sword. He frowned as the young man started down a flight of stairs. "Jerath said we needed to go up."

"We will. But we have to go down first. It's by the clinic."

"What clinic?"

"Well, it used to be a clinic. And it might be one again. They aren't sure yet. Or won't be sure then. Tenses."

"You're weird."

#

Alistair walked into the keep and gave Anora a hopeful look. She shook her head, and he closed his eyes. Not in Kirkwall one day, and his son was missing. And Jerath Gilmore too. If Cathiel didn't kill him, Nesiara would.

Behind him, two young men entered. One wore Inquisition colors. Both were filthy. The one in Inquisition colors bowed. "King Alistair."

The other young man's eyes widened, and he also bowed. "We offered some of the street urchins a reward for information." He hesitated. "One says he saw the boys go into Darktown, and there was an altercation with some lowlifes. He claims the boys escaped, but he doesn't know where they went." He gestured. "My parents, the Inquisitor, and Commander Cullen are searching Darktown now."

#

"Why take us to a wine cellar?" Duncan turned towards the young man. "And who are you, anyway?"

"The former because those stairs go up." He gestured. "And the latter I can't tell you."

"Why can't you tell me?" He frowned.

"Because you didn't know when we first met. If I say the wrong thing, you might do the wrong thing, and then where will we be?" The young man shook his head, sending a lock of black hair into his eyes. He set Jerath down, and brushed his hair back irritably.

"Of course I don't know who you are. You haven't introduced yourself."

"I will when I first meet you."

"But..." Duncan shook his head and growled in frustration. One of them wasn't making a lot of sense. He went to look at his friend, and moved the tunic aside. The wound was closing rapidly. Already it looked like little more than a scratch. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Of course. He doesn't die until he's considerably older."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm too early." He frowned. "Was I supposed to be here?" He raised an eyebrow at Duncan, and then looked down at Jerath. "Or was someone else supposed to be?"

Duncan stomped his foot. "Why are you asking me?"

"You're the one who would..." He frowned. "Will know. Was knowing? I'm going to need you to tell me then. It is very important that you not forget."

"Forget what?"

"I don't know. You didn't tell me. Pay attention." He stood. "I must be going. I'm not expected until after I leave. Don't worry, you'll be safe here. And you'll meet me again." He smiled. "Who knows, perhaps I'll even meet you."

He watched the young man go back out the way they'd come, and frowned. He turned a slow circle. Alright. He was in a wine cellar. Jerath was hurt, but healing. And there was a crazy man wandering Darktown. He shook his head. This was all starting to sound like one of his father's stories from the days of the Blight. He sat next to his friend, and waited for him to wake up.

#

"She said she's been there all day and hasn't seen anyone use that entrance." Hawke shook his head.

Cullen sighed. "I assume that's how you used to come and go from the Gallows?"

"The times I didn't want the templars to know about, anyway." Hawke frowned. "Let's check the clinic, then head back up to my estate, check in with the others."

"How many secret passages does Kirkwall have, anyway?" Ruya followed the men down a flight of stairs.

"We haven't even begun checking the old Tevinter hideaways yet." Fenris glanced over his shoulder. "What are the odds they got into one of those?"

"I don't even want to think about it." Hawke shook his head. "We've sealed off most of them."

"I fear its far more likely the King will be receiving a ransom notice." Cullen sighed.

"Usual procedure then." Hawke shrugged.

Fenris nodded.

Ruya looked from one man to the other. "Usual procedure?"

"Show up, get the hostage safe, then set everything on fire." Hawke grinned.

"You know, you really think they'd learn." Fenris sighed.

Hawke shook his head at Cullen as they finished looking around the area. "I am so glad you aren't a templar anymore." He casually moved something aside and unlocked a door. "Inquisitors first." He bowed.

"And this would be how you smuggled the mages once you got them out of the gallows." Cullen shook his head and smiled.

#

Duncan looked up as four adults entered the room. Jerath tried to get up and grab his sword, and then blinked. "Serah Hawke?"

The man stared, then turned to look behind him, and then turned back towards Jerath and Duncan. "How in the name of Andraste did you two get in here?"

#

Alistair rushed into the estate to find his son behind fed cookies by Orana and Jerath being tended to by the Inquisitor and the Champion. "What happened?"

"We..." Duncan swallowed a bite of cookie.

"I wasn't asking you." Alistair's voice was sharp. "Jerath?"

"We went to read the placard at the statue, and lost sight of you. We went running to catch up, and I guess we went the wrong way." Jerath swallowed. "Some men attacked us. One caught me with a dagger as we were making our escape. Then there was a mage and..." He swallowed again. "I passed out, your majesty. I don't know how we got into the cellar."

He nodded slowly. "I appreciate you protecting my son. I even appreciate you lying to protect him, since we both know the truth is he wandered off and you went after him." He looked up at Ruya. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Whoever healed him knew what they were doing. There won't even be a scar." She gave him a reassuring smile.

His eyes closed, and he took several deep breaths. The boys were safe. That was the important thing. He turned slowly to where his son was standing. The boy wouldn't meet his eyes. "Duncan."

"Father."

#

Leliana chuckled. "I would have expected it to be an Amell that got lost and had the guard in an uproar."

"No. Though Agatha Amell is here to represent House Brosca's interests, and is staying at the Hawke estate." Brehan ran his fingers through her hair.

She lay with her head pillowed on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Moments like these were all too few and far between these days, even with most of Thedas knowing she had a lover. "How many Amells is that in Kirkwall?"

"Are we counting the Inquisitor?" He considered. "The Champion, his three children, Carver, his two children, the Inquisitor, her two children, and Agatha, assuming Lenore doesn't change her mind and show up."

"I thought the Champion only had two children." She looked up at him.

"Lady Orana had a son a year or so back. Narus Hawke."

Her fingers trailed over his stomach. "Do you ever regret us not having any children?"

"Not particularly." He caught her hand, and kissed her fingers. "Do you?"

"I am Divine. I have hundreds of children."