Apostate in Plain Sight

Vinmark

A few weeks went by before Varric had any significant leads on the dwarves who had tried to kill her. She was attacked twice more in the meantime. Once again in her home, and another time quite publicly at Anders' clinic. When he got the news, he led her, Anders and Fenris so far from Kirkwall that they needed horses. North of the city in the Vinmark mountains there was apparently a chasm where a fortress had been built that no one knew anything about. As they approached the chasm Varric sighed. "All right, don't say I didn't warn you." He pointed across the way to a sandy wasteland. "There it is..."

Hawke reigned in her horse and squinted out over the desolate place. "That's where your dwarves are?"

"These are Carta dwarves," Varric corrected. "so they're more criminals and smugglers than anything else." He rubbed his chin in thought. "They're not usually stupid, though. I don't know why they'd attack you."

"I can't think of anything we did to make the Carta angry... Today anyhow," she mused wryly getting off her horse.

"You have a plan, then? I found their hideout, but my sources couldn't tell me anything else. It's all very... strange," Varric said as he dismounted his own pony.

"Why do you say that?" she wondered as they all tied their horses to a pair of trees within watering distance of a small trickle of water running along the ground. "It's just the Carta, isn't it?"

Varric shook his head. "As far as my contacts in the Carta know, they shouldn't be here. There shouldn't even be a here. This place is invisible. A big blind spot on the map. Bianca's never been this suspicious, and she's twitchy to start with."

Hawke smiled slightly. "That doesn't necessarily mean anything. I get attacked a lot."

Varric chuckled. "A fine point. So what's the plan?"

Hawke waved her hand dismissively and her sarcasm slipped into place. "Oh, I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. Later we'll all have tea and we'll laugh."

"Oh!" Varric said with equal sarcasm. "your name is Hawke? I thought it was Locke!" He laughed at his own joke and she snorted softly.

Anders sneered a bit as he approached them. "I just don't like the idea they can get at you. It worries me."

Hawke pressed her lips together and patted his cheek gently. "Let's go," she said starting to walk toward whatever awaited them. Not much farther down the road they came across a cart, overturned and on fire. The crates it had been transporting were untouched and there were dwarven and Bronto bodies strewn all over. Hawke wrinkled her nose. "Someone doesn't like intruders."

"They're from the Merchant's Guild," Varric grumbled. "The Carta doesn't kill guild members! That's... really strange."

Hawke noted Varric's use of the words 'really strange' again and her skin began to crawl. This place was giving off a strange vibe and Anders hadn't stopped frowning since they had gotten within walking distance. As she carefully strolled along the dried up ravine that led them to the closest resemblance to a man made structure, she heard a raspy voice cry out from above. "It's the Hawke!"

"They'll alert others to our presence," Fenris growled angrily as his head whipped around, trying to find the source of the voice.

As they pushed further along the road, more shouts from the voice spoke of her blood and she swore she heard mention of her father's name. With building determination, she pressed forward. They passed under a broken down tunnel that led into more desert. At the end of the tunnel, the source of the voice finally showed himself. "You!" he shouted in awe. "You're finally here! You've come!" Hawke raised a single brow as she looked over the dwarf. She had never seen him before in her life. She had been convinced that there would be some deeper meaning to this and she would at least know the mastermind behind it all when she laid eyes on him. He was average looking in every aspect. Dark hair, beard, Carta uniform. The only thing off was his eyes. They were bugged and wild, dark rings around them showing either sickness or a severe lack of sleep. He turned from them and held up his hands as if praising the heavens. "Everyone! It's the child of Malcolm Hawke! She's come to us!"