A/N: I apologize for being gone so long. Life was generally kicking my ass. Work, getting sick, and blah blah blah. Inventory is coming up. So fun. And my grampa isn't doing so well. :/ However! I'll try to write a few chapters as quickly as I can to make up for missed time. Continuous thanks to DragonReckoning for being an avid reader and my idea person.
It had been about a month since Ceras had gone. Keter and Mina were both anxious about it. The wolf growled in frustration as they walked the streets of Kirkwall. Mina had just started walking again after her incident. She was still a bit stiff and her ribs ached when she overdid herself; something she'd never tell Garrett or Varric.
She was in a foul mood despite the nice weather. It was easily 80 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky for miles. But, her mind was full of dark storm clouds. Something had to have happened if Ceras wasn't back yet. She knew Keter felt the same. She'd called in a few favors among Varric's people and had them try to find something out about Ceras. And what they told Mina royally pissed her off.
Apparently Ceras lived in an estate on the western side of Hightown, only 10 minutes away from Hawke's place. She ignored the looks she got from passers by because of Keter and scoped out the area surrounding what she assumed was Ceras' hideout. She knew she was right from Keter's whining and staring. Mina was going to have answers and she would have them soon.
Something about the place should've seemed off. Anything. Something to let Mina know that Ceras was up to something. Or that something had gone wrong. And yet, it seemed like a normal estate. Someone was tending to the shrubbery out front, another was watering some flowers, and yet another was scurrying up the steps with cloth in his arms. It looked like the owner of the house was being fitted that afternoon. Mina's eyes narrowed. If it was Ceras, Mina wanted to know what for. She wanted to know why her sister never mentioned that she was, in fact, as close to being nobility as an Elf could get. It wasn't as if Mina would've asked her for money or to let her live in the house. Far from it. She just hated keeping stupid secrets. It was ironic since she, herself was a spy of sorts.
"Keter, stay hidden. I've no doubt they'll recognize you. I'm going to get closer to see if I can find anything," she whispered to the wolf. He looked at her and darted off into an alleyway. She smiled and started making her way closer to the mansion. Over the last month, she'd gotten used to the animal being around, and having him understand exactly what she said. He sure understood what she meant more than Garrett did. He got so worked up over Anders and started an argument with her more times than she would've thought possible. His jealousy was cute for a while, but the more they argued over the same thing, the more irritating it got.
Mina brushed her bangs back behind her ear again and walked by the front of the house. She watched the servants from the corner of her eye as she stopped to buy a flower from a woman who had a basket of them. She payed the woman and kept walking. She'd noticed that she man tending to the bushes kept glancing at her. It wasn't that he thought she was pretty or something. His gaze was more... suspicious. His face was controlled, but she'd seen a flash of something in his eyes. It almost looked like panic. She did look an awful lot like Ceras. And if she was inside, he wouldn't have looked panicked. She decided to be a little more direct with her approach. She walked closer to the estate and looked at it in mock awe, like she was a lost, dim-witted little Elf woman. 'And now I'm pretending to be Merrill,' she thought with an inward giggle. She meant no offense, of course.
And, as she thought, the man that was trimming the bushes walked over to her. He was another Elf. He was tall, very slim, with muddy brown hair that was short and slightly messy. She turned to him and smiled brightly.
"E-excuse me, Miss, but may I ask what you need?" he asked politely.
"Oh, I was just looking. This house is so pretty! I've never seen one with so many flowers," she said as innocently as she could. He just stared at her, unsure what to say.
She fluttered her eyes at him, "You're staring at me. Do I have something on my face?"
He looked down, a blush spreading across his cheeks, "Er... No, ma'm. you just look like someone I knew."
Mina tilted her head and giggled, "Well, whoever she was, I'm sure she was wonderful to have caught your eye. Well! I'd better be off before I'm late!"
She left him speechless and dumbfounded as she pranced off with her flower in hand. It helped that she was wearing a light blue dress what was strapless and went down to her knees. The illusion was perfect.
Mina took a roundabout way back to Lowtown, Keter joining her in the market area. She was sure that something had happened to Ceras. He might as well have told her that he had done or helped with that something. The way he gawked at her, plus he slipped with his words. He said knew instead of know. Mina knew that Ceras lived in that estate. Varric's people had seen her a few days ago.
She let herself into Garrett's estate and greeted Bohdan, Sandal, and Orana. They were always happy to see her. Especially Sandal for some reason. He sometimes pointed to her hands and said 'Not Enchantment!' excitedly. Mina just smiled and nodded. She had no idea what he meant. Maybe her abilities to bend sound? Orana rushed to the kitchen and brought back a glass of apple juice. Mina's favorite.
Mina smiled and accepted the drink gladly. She was getting tired and her sides were aching something awful. Bohdan lead her to the study and stopped in front of the door.
"He's been in a strange mood today. He's not cross, but, he hasn't wanted to see anyone. He's not had any alcohol at least," the Dwarf informed her. She nodded and braced herself for another argument with her lover. Keter sat by Sandal and let the boy pet him, as was his custom when they visited the Champion's home.
She quietly entered the study and found the Champion quietly sitting in front of the fireplace. He had his ugly robes on, and looked a little too sullen. He didn't look up as she entered.
"Orana, I told you I'm fine. I don't need a drink. Thank you," he said. Mina walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"It's not Orana, my love," she said placing a kiss on his head. He perked up only slightly.
"Come, sit on my lap, please. I'm not... I'm not okay right now," he murmured. Mina did as he said and sat quietly. Whatever was bothering him so wasn't something she could ask about. She usually let him talk about it in his own time. That seemed to be the best way to get him to talk.
"It's been seven years," he eventually began, "Seven years since the Blight. Seven years since my little brother was killed by an ogre. A fucking ogre!"
He stopped and laughed humorlessly.
"The idiot was trying to play hero. He always had to prove that he was just as tough and just as capable as I was. He ran out by himself and tried to kill it. If he would've waited for the rest of us..."
He let out a whimper and took in a shaky breath. Mina held him close and kissed his forehead, trying to comfort him. She knew that each time he lost his family it got harder and harder for him to go on. And now that he was alone in his own mind, he became unhinged at times. Mina was there to remind him that despite everything he was definitely not alone, nor would he ever be.
"It was my fault. Each time I failed to protect them! Father died trying to fend on some bandits and I had been off in the woods with some friends. If I had been there, doing my chores like I was supposed to, I could've helped him. If I would've ran out to help Carver, he would still be here, hating my guts and bemoaning my every breath. And mother... Maker, if I had paid attention to those flowers, I could've kept an eye on her and killed that bastard before he got to her!"
Mina shushed him and shook her head, "Garrett, you were a kid. You didn't know that those bandits were going to be there. You can't control another person's actions, and couldn't have stopped your brother. And as for your mother... no one could've have guessed that either. It was a very strange, very unlikely thing. He was deranged."
She tried her best to deflect his doubts and self loathing. She was sure Leandra wouldn't want him to blame himself. She'd say that she loved him and he needed to keep his chin up. But, her efforts were for naught. His eyes dulled and he just leaned his head on her shoulder.
He looked defeated once again. Being Champion wasn't something he'd tried to get. He'd just wanted to save his family and make sure they had a good home.
Mina began to talk without realising what she was saying. It surprised her, the words that came out of her mouth.
"You know, Leandra told me once that you were exactly like your father in personality and looks. She was so happy when she said it. She said that despite you not being a mage, she would swear that you were him. She told me that you were both very devious, and charming. That you both had a knack for getting into trouble and had good hearts. You look out for those who are important to you. She admitted that you've gotten into more messes than he did, but she laughed at it. And, she told me that he was overjoyed that you weren't a mage. He didn't want you to be rejected for having magic."
Hawke's head lifted and he smirked at her, almost looking like his regular self. It was a start.
"My father always did say that I was too smart for my own good and that my mouth got me in a lot of trouble. But, me, charming? Nah," he said sadly.
Mina kissed his nose and held his hand, interlocking their fingers, "Of course you're charming, handsome, and confident. And you're mischievous. That's why you're nothing but trouble. Guys like you cause women nothing but trouble."
She laughed as he fake pouted. He was insulted that she insisted he was nothing but trouble.
"If I'm so much trouble, why are you still here with me?" he asked with his signature half smile.
Mina returned his smile with her own equally as evil, "Because I live for the adventures it brings. Devious things are what I do, sweetheart."
They sat in Hawke's study a while longer before Mina remembered that she'd gone there to ask him for help. She was hesitant to still bring it up, but she needed to find Ceras as fast as possible.
"Hey, we need to go see Izzy and Varric. Something weird is going on with my sister," she said.
Garrett nodded and looked over at the door where Keter was poking his head in, "I noticed you still have that wolf. I figured it was strange for you to be taking care of him so long. Did she go somewhere in the Anderfels? Or did she get lost in Rivain?"
Mina rolled her eyes and got up, "No. I think someone did something to her. I don't think she's dead, but I think she's really hurt. Or imprisoned. Or... something!"
Hawke's face got serious as he stood, "Alright. Let's get to finding her then. We'll make a plan at the Hanged Man. We'll need to know everything."
That was one thing Mina adored about him. He could be absolutely goofy one second, but then the next, he was completely serious if he needed to be. She felt bad for interrupting his grieving, but he didn't seem to mind. She made a mental note to apologize and make up for it later.
'Maybe I'll get him a mini cake,' she thought as they left.