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As they ambled through the Hightown market, Hawke handed Varric a piece of parchment. "See what you make of this."
He ran an eye over it. In Knight-Captain Cullen's bold dark handwriting, it accused Aveline of coddling her men and weakening Kirkwall's law enforcement. Apparently, Meredith wanted Aveline fired. Varric snorted. "'Coddling'? Aveline? Her version of coddling is letting her men wear two pairs of socks on a winter night."
"Ridiculous, right?" Hawke shook her head. "You think Meredith is trying to get at me through Aveline?"
"I think Meredith's trying to take over Kirkwall, and Aveline is the biggest, loudest thing that stands in her way." Second biggest, actually, Varric thought, glancing at Hawke. He felt a growing concern for her. As Meredith tightened her grip on the city, sooner or later, Hawke was going to put a foot in the wrong place and find herself directly in Meredith's cross-hairs.
"I sent Cullen a note back saying I'd talk to her."
"Tell me I get to be a fly on that wall."
"Actually, I thought I'd let you do the talking."
Varric grinned at her. "You wouldn't."
"No, I wouldn't, since I actually want her to take this seriously. It worries me, Varric. This is a direct threat against civilian government of the city. Meredith's never been this overt before."
"Until someone steps in and shuts her down, she'll just keep reaching. And no one is going to step in."
Hawke sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of."
In Aveline's office, they found the Templars were way ahead of them. One of them was already there, reminding Aveline that without a viscount, her position was shaky.
Aveline's face was as red as her hair as she shouted back at him. "That does not grant default authority to you or your commander."
Unmoved, the Templar said, "It would be easier if you would cooperate."
Folding her arms over her chest, Aveline said pointedly, "Yes. Wouldn't it."
The Templar nodded at her and took his leave once he saw Hawke and Varric step into the room, clearly deciding he wasn't getting anywhere with her today.
"Trouble?" Hawke asked when they were left alone.
"Yes. He's been hounding me. These Templars strut around as it is, but now it's just … out of hand."
"Unfortunately, it's worse than that." Hawke showed Aveline the parchment.
A scowl creased the Guard-Captain's forehead as she read.
"It's all lies, of course," Hawke said, "but it's out there. Cullen's not usually a reactionary. This wouldn't have come from him if he didn't think there was some truth behind it."
"No wonder the lieutenant was harassing me. Bastards. Accuse me of being soft? Not in this lifetime," Aveline muttered. She took a breath, thinking it through. "If they think I'm coddling anyone, it will be Donnic. You and I will intercept his patrol tonight—you can see just how easy he has it."
"He's married to you, Aveline. We can all see just how easy he has it," Varric said, grinning cheekily at her.
She tried to glare, but ended in a grudging chuckle. "Just for that, you can come, too."
"Just try to stop me."
Aveline glanced from him to Hawke and back again. "Foolish of me to think you wouldn't be there anyway."
Hawke looked at her warningly. "We can all do with a breath of fresh air, after all."
"Good. Because there is no way I'm letting this accusation stand. Cullen wants to know if these things are true? Well, you'll be able to tell him."
"Assuming he's willing to take my word for it. Hopefully so, since he sent me this note … but the day is coming when it'll be my name on one of these parchments." Hawke sighed. "See you tonight. Unless you want to come to Gamlen's with me—us? Checking to see how Charade is settling in."
"No, I'll leave the Amell family reunion alone. I don't feel any need to step foot in Gamlen's house again."
"Fair enough. If the man wasn't my relative, I wouldn't, either."
Hawke and Varric headed for Lowtown. He wondered, watching her match her steps to his, nearly automatic by this point, what he had ever done without her—and what he would do when someday, inevitably, Kirkwall was too much for her.
Gamlen was looking clean and pressed and generally presentable, for the first time since Varric had known him. He came toward Hawke and looked almost as though he was going to embrace her before both of them decided that wasn't the right move. "I … have to thank you. I thought you were being your usual overbearing self, but this is—" He cleared his throat, unable to find the words. "I didn't know Mara had a baby. If I did, I like to think I would have … I don't know, gone after her or something."
"Or something," Hawke agreed. "Where is Charade?"
"Gone out to the market. She said there was nothing decent to eat in the house."
Hawke and Varric exchanged amused looks. "Imagine that."
"Do you know, she told me Mara used to say she was just like me? Not in looks, obviously, but ... like me. My daughter."
"So you had a good talk, then."
He cleared his throat again. "It was, um, bloody awkward, is what it was. Hawke, I may not say this much, but … I'm glad you're one of the family."
"I'm glad to see the family growing." Unspoken was the reminder that in recent years, all it had done was shrink.
"Hmph. Seriously, next time? Stay out of my damned business, girl."
Hawke chuckled. "Yes, Uncle. Tell Charade we asked after her when she gets back—we'll be at the Hanged Man most of the afternoon if she wants to stop by."
Gamlen looked at the two of them, and Varric wondered if he was speculating on the odds of there being a dwarf in the family at some point. He'd never known for sure what Gamlen thought of Hawke or the people she'd gathered around her—or if he thought about her at all. "I'll tell her."
"Good afternoon, Uncle." Hawke led the way out of his house and breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the street level. "Every time I step foot in that place I remember how awful those times were, all of us crammed in there. And ... how wonderful." Tears glimmered briefly in her eyes until she closed them, pretending none of it bothered her.
How long could she keep that act up until all the emotions she'd been suppressing came boiling up and something exploded? Varric couldn't decide if he wanted to be there when that happened or not—but he would be, and he hoped that would be enough.