I don’t really have postings for my Sanity story this week, but I have one for my fan-fiction only because it was pretty much pre-written.
Today’s picture is a screen shot is what was Jeven’s office from the game but I got it from http://guides.gamepressure.com/dragonageii/guide.asp?ID=11508
I will be making cosmetic changes to this like I did to my Savior posts, but not today, spent lots of time on that and I need a break.
Enjoy!
A Friend in the Guard
The afternoon lunch crowd died down, the noise level resumed as the Kirkwall citizens resumed their daily tasks. As Varric related his tale, the afternoon waned into evening. It was sunset when Small Fry interrupted again.
“Did Mother ever hear about how you met Hawke?” He asked as he rose and walked into the kitchen area to grab their dinners.
Varric, meanwhile, busied himself with getting their goblets refilled. “I’m sure she did, although I don’t recall if it was by me, Hawke or someone else. Why do you ask?”
The elf was quiet for a moment. Varric stopped pouring the wine and looked over at the doorway when he didn’t hear a response. “Small Fry?”
The elf re-entered the dining area with two plates and set each on the table at their respective seats. “That person you … saved Hawke from.”
“What about him? Just another nobody trying to survive going about it the wrong way. I don’t think we ever saw him again.” He paused and looked at his companion momentarily before returning to his seat and siting down. “That’s the same look your mother wore when she wanted to say something but couldn’t. Anyway, we decided to make our way to the Viscount’s Keep to see Aveline who was now a member of the city guard.”
“Mother saw him, the … thief, from time to time.”
“She did?”
The elf nodded. “At times she would point him out to me, other times I would let her know. It was almost like a game.”
“Hmm. I wonder why she took an interest in a nobody like him. At any rate, we decided to make our way to the Viscount’s Keep to see Aveline who was now a member of the city guard. Junior was in better spirits now, but sadly wouldn’t keep quiet the entire time we traveled.”
“I wonder what it was Mother saw in him.”
“We wondered that too, many times. I offered advice once:
“You know, Junior, you’re looking at this all wrong.” Varric piped up.
“Whatever it is you’re about to say, I’m not interested.” Carver snapped.
Varric chuckled. “I’m a professional younger brother. Trust me, the center of attention’s the worst place to be. When things go wrong, and they always do, that’s where all the fingers point. Look at any kingdom in Thedas: you’ve got people who warm thrones and people nobody sees who do the real work.”
“So my brother is a king now? Just what he needed.”
“Point, missing it. Ah well.”
“Maker, I hate you dwarf.”
The elf laughed. “He had such a sour disposition.”
“Except when it came to your mother.”
He nodded and continued in between bites. “He was protective of her, according to Father. So much so that Father grew nervous whenever he was around. So you went to see Aveline – who I’m surprised you never had a nickname for.”
“Well, she had a tendency of scaring the piss out of me and she knew it – I said it often enough. She did ask me about it once:
“Blondie, Bright Eyes, Daisy, Rivaini, what am I?”
“Beg your pardon?”
“You don’t call anyone by name except for me. Where’s my nickname?”
“That’s not true. There’s Hawke. And Bianca.”
“Hawke is a family name, and Bianca is a crossbow. Don’t change the subject!”
“I haven’t thought of a good one yet. What do you think of Red?”
“Too common.”
“Well, when you think of one, let me know”
The elf smirked and shook his head.
“Anyway, yes, we did go see her and got more than what we bargained for out of it.”
“I find it … more than a coincidence that the corruption was found so soon after you met up with Hawke.”
“You mean Jeven and the ambush.”
“Wasn’t there …?”
“When Hawke and Junior first arrived, Ewald was Captain of the Guard; but for whatever reason, he stepped down.”
“Maybe due to the influx of refugees.”
“Maybe. But there were other rumors.”
“It took us four days to go out to and come back from Sundermount with what little evidence we had. I remembered well what happened. The morning of the fourth day we made our way back to the barracks and waited close to the captain’s office while Aveline entered and proceeded to explain the situation. It took a bit, a little longer than was comfortable, but when the shouting started, we all knew that this was a failed venture.”
“From what I heard, she had her suspicions for a long while before you got involved.”
“She may have, and it’s possible she used us just to get him taken care of. But whether that’s truth or rumor, in the end she became Captain of the guard.”
They sat there eating in silence. From outside they could hear the ever quieting sound of the people of Kirkwall as they ended their daily routines.
“You had a productive first week it would seem.”
“You don’t know the half of it, Small Fry. I saved the trouble of telling you the mundane things that happened. Plus I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few details in the years since this happened. I’m surprised you don’t know more.”
“How long has it been since you first met Hawke?”
Varric didn’t miss the change in subject, but let it go, stopped and thought for a moment. “Over ten years, more or less.”
“A lot can happen in a decade, so it would seem.”
Varric laughed. “You’re telling me! Look at you! Realistically speaking, you should not look like you’re …”
“Mother tried to explain it to me once, the last time I saw her.”
“And what, pray tell, did she say?”
His facial features soften as the memory of the last time he saw her came to mind. “She said time is a man-made concept that doesn’t actually have much meaning in The Fade. She’s right, to an extent.”
“So your trips into The Fade are what affected you … tell me, have you ever bumped into Feynriel?”
The elf had been focusing on some memories but stopped for a moment and actually thought, slate eyes blankly looking out over the table. After a moment, he blinked and looked over at the dwarf. “I may have. If so, he has nearly mastered his ability.”
“You aren’t sure?”
“Well, The Fade isn’t actually Ferelden where you bump into people on purpose or accident. It could be the person I saw once was him. He wasn’t alone – I believe a spirit was with him.”
“I see. Well Small Fry, I’ll save telling you every single second of things that happened before your mother arrived. Suffice it to say that the Hawke family had a couple of smaller adventures regarding their own lineage in the week before they met Daisy…”