Into the Woods (a Dragon Age fanfiction)

Little Sister

"Bethany!" Jennie looked her sister over with delight. Being a Grey Warden clearly suited her—she was sleek and trim, much more muscular than Jennie remembered. Her black hair was cropped close in the same way Jennie's was, but on Bethany it looked dangerous and confidently elegant. Her eyes were different than Jennie remembered, less gentle and open, but she supposed being a Grey Warden could do that to a person. "What a surprise! What are you doing in Val Royeaux?" Jennie asked after they had exchanged a brief hug.

"I could ask you the same question. I was quite surprised when one of my men told me the Champion of Kirkwall had come to Orlais, and in such interesting company, as well." Bethany's gaze moved over Jennie's shoulder to take in Fergus. Her eyes softened slightly when she looked at Varric. "Hello, Varric."

"Sunshine. You look well."

The nickname no longer seemed to suit her sister, Jennie thought. Bethany's reserved demeanor was more like midnight than daylight.

Belatedly, Jennie remembered her manners. "Fergus, this is my sister, Bethany. Bethany, this is Fergus Cousland."

"We've met. Although I didn't realize at the time that she was your sister." Fergus nodded cordially to Bethany.

"You have?" Jennie's eyes widened as she looked from one to the other.

"Oh, I must have forgotten to write you, sister. While you've been taking Kirkwall by storm, I was named as second in command to the Warden Commander of Ferelden." Bethany's chin lifted proudly. "I'm only sorry Mother couldn't have lived long enough to know that I finally found a place where my abilities are respected as they ought to be."

A disloyal voice in the back of Jennie's head wondered acidly where this pride had been when Bethany had so dramatically declared that death would be preferable to becoming a Warden, or when she had written Jennie that cold, stilted letter that forgave her older sister for saving her life by getting her to the Wardens. "Congratulations," Jennie said, leaving her thoughts unvoiced.

"Some time you'll have to tell me about what happened to Mother and how she managed to go off with a deranged blood mage without anyone knowing about it," Bethany remarked. Her voice was soft, but Jennie heard the implied blame loud and clear.

She bit back the impulse to defend herself. Probably, if Bethany had been there, it wouldn't have happened. Mother and Bethany would have talked about Mother's suitor the way they had always talked about everything and everyone, including Jennie, and Bethany would almost certainly have known when Mother went off with him. But Jennie had been too busy to keep up with her mother's life, and vice versa. "If you're assigned to the Fereldan Wardens, what brings you here?" she asked, to change the subject.

"You do. Or, rather, your traveling companions do."

"Oh, Sunshine, you missed us. That's sweet."

Bethany didn't crack a smile at Varric's comment, looking straight at her sister. "You are traveling with two Grey Wardens, Jennie, both of whom are absent from the order without permission. We can't allow that kind of thing to continue."

"Let's take this somewhere more private, shall we?" Fergus put in. He glanced significantly at the front desk clerk, who was listening as hard as he could without being obvious about it.

"Absolutely. Bethany, let's go up to my room and you can explain whatever it is that you're after," Jennie said.

Bethany nodded, looking at Fergus and Varric. "Will you both excuse us, please? I'd like to talk to my sister alone, if you don't mind."