"So that's how the champions got into the city," said Cassandra.

"Quite the story, isn't it?" Varric smiled. "A brother and sister down on their luck with nothing but the shirts off their backs becoming the two most important people in the city."

"And, of course, you couldn't help but write about their story," said Cassandra suspiciously.

"I only wrote it so that people like yourself would not get the wrong idea about them," said Varric.

"So what happened after that year with the Red Iron?" Cassandra asked.

Varric leaned back in his chair and smiled as he continued his story.

"Thus began the Champions' first year in Huttsgalor. Word arrived across the sea that the Midgard's new king, Hiccup Haddock, had defeated the Blight. But Lothering was destroyed; Huttsgalor was the Champions' home now. So he made his name, settling his debts with the mercenaries.

"It was a busy year in the city. That's when the Qunari landed. A great storm caught their ship and left hundreds of warriors stranded in the city, waiting to return home. That's also when the trouble began with the mages. The templars have become very powerful under Knight-Commander Meredith.

"But most importantly, that's when I first met the Champions."

Both Dak and Leyla had now left the Red Iron, but they were now penniless, which meant they were now victims of the ever-constant vigil in templars. However, they had a plan to solve this issue. A dwarf by the name of Bartrand Tethras was planning an expedition into the Deep Roads, and they were trying to convince him. Hightown was trying to convince him to let them join.

Ordinarily, adventuring into the Deep Roads would be suicide as it was the constant home of the darkspawn and the only one brave enough to go down there, Grey Wardens. However, the end of the Blight is usually a short window for exploration, and if they were able to be part of an expeditionary, they could easily find a fortune down there.

Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones who had come up with the same idea, and Bartrand had his fill of it.

"No," said Bartrand, practically stomping away from them. "Andraste's tits, human! You know how many people want to hire onto this expedition?"

Dak clenched his fists. "Look, we know you're going into the Deep Roads. You'll need to hire the best, and we're—"

"No! You're too late! Already done!"

"The money from this trip could fix everything! You need us. We've fought darkspawn."

Bartrand squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Look, precious, I don't care if you tore the horns of an ogre with your bare hands."

Leyla was doing her best to be the voice of reason, as Dak had become a bit more aggressive ever since they had left the Red Iron. She suspected that part of the reason was that he was desperate to protect her from the templars.

"My brother can be hotheaded, but we do have the skills to benefit your expedition," said Leyla gently.

Bartrand spat. "You're looking for a quick way out of the slums, right? You and every other Ferelden in this dump." He waved them away. "Find another meal ticket."

"Well," said Dak, kicking at the ground. "Back to waiting for someone to turn us in."

"Calm down, Dak," said Leyla. "We'll find a way; we always do. Maybe Duggard could talk to Bartrand. He knows some people. After last week, we need all the coin and influence we can get."

The templars had recently been knocking on doors in Lowtown. Fortunately, Leyla had been keeping her magic hidden very well, but she was unsure how long that would last.

"Somehow, I get the feeling that Bartrand will be too much for Duggard to handle," said Leyla.

She liked their uncle very much. He was amusing but not decisive. It was no wonder that he managed to lose their family estate; he seemed to be quite a bit of a pushover.

"Well, he did get us into the city, right?" Dak pointed out. "What else can we do? We're losing ground, and I don't fancy waking up in the Gallows."

Leyla hated this. It was considered a crime to harbour an apostate, even if said apostate turned out to be a member of your family. Mother would end up serving time somewhere, but she suspected that Dak would end up with hard labour. She had told Dak a hundred times that if they did end up getting caught, they should just let the templars take him. Dak, however, made it very clear he had no intention of listening.

Before she could say a single word, a young man brushed against Dak. He must have felt something as he began to feel around his waist and discovered his missing coin purse. He wheeled around, catching sight of the red-haired thief.

"Hey!" he yelled.

At once, they began to give chase.

They turned the corner in time to see the thief take a crossbow bolt to the shoulder. The culprit was a ginger-haired dwarf with an absurd amount of chest hair who wielded a strange-looking crossbow like nothing she had ever seen before.

"I knew a guy once who could take every coin out of your pocket just by smiling at you," said the dwarf. "But you? You don't have the style to work Hightown, let alone the Merchants Guild."

He extended his hand, and the thief gave him the coin purse. "Might what a find yourself a new line of work." He then punched him in the face and yanked out the bolt. "Off you go."

The dwarf then approached them and tossed Dak back his coinpurse. "How do you do? Varric Tethras, at your service." He stowed the crossbow bolt. "I apologise for Bartrand. He wouldn't know an opportunity if it hit him square in the jaw."

"But you would?" Leyla asked suspiciously.

"I would. What my brother doesn't realise is that we need someone like you two. He would never admit it, either—he's too proud. I, however, am quite practical."

Leyla was still rather suspicious. "What makes you so certain we can help? You know nothing about us."

Varric shook his head. "On the contrary—the two of you have made quite the name for yourselves over the last year." He paced from side to side. "Serving with the Red Iron is no mean feat, yet you not only served, you impressed. The name 'Hawke' is on many lips these days. Not bad for a Midgard fresh off the boat."

Dak looked rather eager, but Leyla knew there had to be a catch, something she had learned a year ago from the witch. "You're going awfully far out of your way just to hire another guard."

"We don't need another hireling—we need a partner!" Varric sighed. "The truth is, Bartrand's been tearing his beard out trying to fund this on his own, but he can't do it. Invest in the expedition. Fifty sovereigns, and he can't refuse. Not with me there to vouch for you."

"I hope there's more to this," said Dak, looking at his practically empty coin pouch, which was filled with a single silver and a couple of coppers. "Like how we're supposed to get that much coin together."

"You need to think big! There's only a brief window after a Blight when the Deep Roads won't be crawling with darkspawn." Varric smiled confidently. "The treasure you find down there could set you and your family up for life."

Leyla looked at Dak. "What do you think?"

"We would have been lucky to get any treasure as hirings, but now we'll have a much easier time for partners," said Dak. "If it keeps us from going to the Gallows, I say we take up on his offer."

"We work together, the three of us, and before you know it, you'll have all the capital you need," said Varric with a gallant smile. "What do you say?"

Leyla looked at Dak, who nodded, then looked back at Varric. "You have a deal."

"Perfect," Varric said. He then looked at them all businesslike. "Huttsgalor crawling with work. You set aside some coin for every job, and you'll have the money in no time!"

"You make it sound so easy," said Dak. "We could try going to Aveline; she may have some bounties worth pursuing. She's been with the city guard for a year now."

Leyla nodded in agreement.

"So you named your crossbow Bianca?" Dak asked as they made their way over to Aveline.

"And why not? She's a beauty. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" He caressed the grip of the weapon.

Dak had to admit it was quite a beautiful crossbow; he had never seen anything quite like it before. Whoever built it put a lot of care into the design and mechanics. He knew it was common practice for people to name their weapons, though they don't usually give them a woman's name. Dak began to wonder if there was more to the story than Varric was letting on.

They soon reached the keep, which was the centre of power in all of Huttsgalor. It was where people dealt with business with the city guard and the viscount, the city's ruler. It was easily the tallest building in the entire city and, no doubt, was where the Imperium ruled from.

"You can't miss the keep," Varric said. "It practically screams 'nothing fun ever happens here."

"It was made by the Imperium," Leyla reminded. "I doubt any of them had a sense of humour."

Varric chuckled. "True enough."

They found Aveline in the barracks wearing her city guard armour. It looked as if she fitted quite well in Huttsgalor; no doubt her time serving in the king's army helped her get this position as city guard.

She turned her back to them and looked at the noticeboard, which contained the different patrols and their routes.

"Aveline," Leyla smiled.

"Hello, Leyla," she said, giving her a big hug.

"Been a while. Hasn't it?" said Dak as he walked up.

"It has," she said. "I hear the two of you are trying to get hired on another expedition. Watch out for Bartrand—he's a son of a bitch."

"As my brother in a nutshell," said Varric. "Though I would hardly call my mother a bitch."

"Sorry," Aveline apologised.

"How's life in the guard treating you?" Leyla asked.

"Can't complain much; the new captain is not exactly like his predecessor," said Aveline and then leaned against the wall. "Let's just say the places they have me patrolling gives me plenty of time to look out for my friends."

"Still having trouble?" Dak frowned. "I thought you were past all that."

"Lately, I don't know. I've been pushed out to some dead patrols. Maybe I stepped on someone's toes."

"You can be…" He paused as he tried to find the right word. "…forceful."

Aveline smiled. "My charm, right? I should be able to go if needed." She glanced to the side, then back at him. "In fact, I might have a job for you. Let me know if you want me to do a favour for Huttsgalor." She shrugged. "Otherwise, I'm here if you need me. Maker knows I could use more satisfying work."

Dak was more than willing to help Aveline; she was part of the family, and they could certainly use the work. "All right, Aveline. You have something worth doing?"

"My patrols may be empty walks in the dark, but there's something big coming up, and I could use you." She lowered her voice slightly. "An ambush. Probably for a caravan, although I can't find any shipments that match up." Her face set itself into determined lines. "Doesn't matter, though. Highwaymen waiting for someone to rob? I'm putting a stop to it, my district or not."

They both keep the city safe and get some extra coin. Kill two birds with one stone. "Aveline, you've got yourself some partners."

Her face lit up when she smiled. "I knew I could count on you two. They're hidden up Sundermount. Remote and rough, but we can make good time with a shortcut this side." She started to walk away, then obviously remembered with whom she was speaking. Her finger pressed against his chest. "And no, you can't run off and do it without me. I trust you, but I have to be there. You're acting on behalf of the guard."

They made their way up to Sundermount, which was a steep climb.

"Seems like Huttsgalor suits you," said Dak.

"It has been a challenge. Lots of opportunity… if you're the type the locals want."

"Are you?"

She sighed. "If you argue enough, you kind of convince yourself."

"The Blight is over," Leyla pointed out. "You could go back to Lothering."

"That wasn't home for me. It was just where the horde pressed us." She put a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't the first village I saw fall. But you don't get used to people losing everything."

"It's not how I wanted to say goodbye, I'll give you that," Dak nodded.

"You can't go home again. That's supposed to be about maturity. It's not the same if you don't have the option."

"This must be a very different pace from serving King Cailan," said Dak.

"I loved that life, but there's a new king for a new Midgard," she shrugged. "There is something romantic about a hero becoming a king. However, the real end for me was Ostagar." She then glanced at him curiously. "What about you? You were there. Do you feel something similar?"

"Ostagar was my first real campaign, but the battle itself wasn't what I expected," said Dak.

"I think it was the same for everyone."

Halfway up the trail, they encounter the bandits, and Leyla immediately disorientated them by creating a firestorm. Dak and Aveline engaged another group with their Dire Wolves offering support. Varric held back using his crossbow to attack from a fire and was proficient at using it. Plus, he was extremely useful in disarming all the traps they placed around the area.

"Well-equipped for bandits, but dead is dead, and the road is clear," Aveline smiled as she checked the bodies. "Captain Jeven needs to know of this. Back to the barracks for your just reward."

When they returned to the barracks, they could hear a lot of yelling coming from inside the captain's office, indicating that Captain Jeven was less than pleased. He was yelling so loud that they could hear him through the large, thick wooden door.

"I don't know how they do it where you're from, Guardswoman, but I decide the patrols, not you and your whims. You may have been put up for lieutenant in your first year, but I'll have no show-offs in my command. Have I made myself clear? Report to your post before I have you and your Midgardain accomplices jailed."

Aveline then stormed out of the man's office with a look of frustration and fury on her face.

Leyla approached her gently, giving Aveline time to compose herself. "A lot of yelling for doing him a favour."

"We killed a band of highwaymen. What is the matter whose patrol it was?" she said, looking back at the office door with concern. "It's not the first time he's made me wonder like this. Something is very wrong."

"So let's find out whose toes you actually stepped on," said Dak.

Aveline nodded. "Then let's check the duty roster and see who was supposed to take that route." She walked towards the roster, muttering to herself. "What did I step into this time?"

They wandered over to the duty roster and began searching for the duty patrols. That was when another guard, a woman with short dark blonde hair, approached her.

"Aveline." She smiled at Aveline. "I owe you for clearing that ambush the other night. Saved me a mess of trouble."

Aveline turned and looked at her. "Brennan, that route was yours?"

"It was. Single patrol. I'd have been dead for sure."

The three of them looked at one another, trading glances.

Dak looked at Brennan. "So there was nothing unusual about it at all?"

Brennan shook her head. "It had been cleared for weeks. It didn't become unusual until we heard about about you lot." She looked back at Aveline. "The captain reassigned me after he heard what you did, and I passed the satchel to Donnic for his patrol tonight."

Leyla looked up. "The satchel?"

"Pay and order assignments. Captain has us run deliveries to the outposts during light duty. It's usually just an updated copy of the roster. The satchel for that night was heavy, though. Anyway, thanks again, Aveline. You're a good one."

Aveline turned to look at them. "So the satchel gets heavy the same day we discover an ambush."

"Hardly a coincidence," said Varric. "Clearly, something is up."

Dak nodded. "A messy way to pass information, and Brennan already said it along."

"Another guard is walking into the same trap, I can't let that happen." She looked over the roster. "Brennan said Donnic… a good man, Donnic… Donnic. I've got his route. A night walk in Lowtown. Let's go make sure his quiet patrol stays that way."

They waited until night and then made their way down into Lowtown, an area they were all familiar with. Unfortunately, Aveline took the point as she was the only one who could recognise Donnic when they found him.

It didn't take them long as she immediately held up her hand. They looked round the corner and saw a Guardsman, who they had to assume was Donnic, flat on the ground at the mercy of some bandits. Fortunately, it looked like they got here just in time, as he was still alive, but they had to act fast.

Leyla drew her staff with a single wave and reached a wall of ice protecting Doonic. He and Aveline then quickly sprung into action, taking the bandits completely by surprise in the moment of confusion. Varric fired Bianca at a bunch of archers, and their Dire Wolves jumped, landing directly on top of the bandits and plunged their fangs into them.

Once the last of them had been taken down, Aveline quickly rushed over to Donnic. His wounds weren't too bad, so Leyla performed a little healing magic to bring him around.

Donnic blinked up at Aveline. "Who… Ave… Aveline?" She pulled him to his feet. "You're a beautiful sight."

"Guardsman?" said Aveline in a soft voice.

Dak and then down to examine the satchel.

"I mean, I was on patrol, and they came out of nowhere," said Donnic as Aveline helped him to his feet. "I took a few down, but there were too many at once." He then turned his eyes to the large group of bandits that attacked him. "The captain said this route was supposed to be quiet."

Dak opened the satchel and found much more than an updated duty roster inside. He found several very important documents.

Leyla looked over his shoulder, and her eyes widened. "The seal of the viscount. Office details, city accounts."

"Valuable to a guild of thieves," said Dak.

Aveline narrowed her eyes as she clenched her fist. "A sacrificial delivery with one of our own. Captain Jeven will answer."

Leyla looked at Aveline warily. "Exposing this kind of corruption could make the garden look weak."

Aveline just gave her a firm look. "Then we look weak. The others deserve better." She looked down at the satchel. "This goes to the office of the viscount. This will be known." She looked down at the dead. "The captain likes his thieves so much; let's see if they welcome him in prison."

The next morning, they immediately informed the proper officials in the keep. Seneschal Bran accompanied them to witness Jeven's arrest.

Jeven was practically throwing a tantrum. "How dare you! I am guard captain! I won't be treated like this!" He glared at Aveline. "Ferelden bitch! This was none of your affair! I'll see you hanged! Quartered! This will not stand!"

Dak couldn't help but notice that some of the guards were hiding smiles; the others just didn't seem to be bothered. Clearly, Captain Jeven wasn't very well respected, and despite his threats, everyone knew they were just bluster.

Seneschal Bran turned towards Aveline. "We found a number of debts to… suspect peoples. Such poor character." He gave Aveline a respectful nod. "But you, Aveline Vallen, have proven your loyalty and ability."

"The guard deserves better than him, messere," she said plainly.

"Indeed. The viscount would have you put your care for the men into direct practice. You will assume the captain's job."

"What?" Aveline could only stare.

Dak and Leyla smiled at one another.

"In due time, of course. There will be training, approvals. Months, at least." Seneschal Bran gestured. "But who better than to rebuild respect than the woman who exposed this… embarrassment. Resolve any outstanding business, Guardswoman. You will be very busy."

Seneschal Bran then left, leaving Aveline to comprehend the realisation that the office they were now standing in belonged to her. Dak and Leyla smiled at one another as they left the room thinking the same thing: Aveline's promotion was a long time coming.

"So, it was a conspiracy that put Aveline into the Guard Captain's office, just not the one we thought," said Cassandra.

"Don't tell me you honestly believe that Dak and Leyla orchestrated the entire thing to promote their friend to such a hefty position?" said Varric.

"No, we did a background check on Aveline and questioned the other Guardsman, and they confirmed your story."

Varric looked at her curiously. "I'm surprised you didn't bring a beloved guard captain in for questioning like me. She, after all, was there at the very beginning of this story."

"But you have a great insight into detail," said Cassandra, leaning in towards him. "Given what we are now facing, it is imperative that we look at every lead that led to this disaster. Plus, one could argue that your expedition is what started all this."

"I won't deny that," said Varric.

"Continue, I wish to hear more."