A Better Future

Marian took to motherhood easily enough, having her mother there to help made the transition easier. Gamlen complained often about the noise and the inconvenience, yet even he could not resist smiling back the first time Elizabeth smiled at him. Anders had kept his word and visited almost every day, and was insistent on doing everything he could to take care of her during those visits. Changing nappies, burping, rocking her to sleep, cleaning her; if it needed done, Dada would do it. Leandra hugged him at each visit, as did Marian. Carver had forgiven his existence enough to stop glaring at him, and Gamlen always found a reason to be scarce during his visits.

When Elizabeth reached her fourth month, Marian finally felt back to herself enough to get back out there and work. Carver was still working for Athenril, and made it clear that he did not want his older sister there to interfere with his life. Besides Anders and Athenril's people, the only person she knew here was Aveline, and the city guard wasn't going to hire an apostate. So she decided to bring up the issue with Anders.

"I need to find work. I love our girl, but I'm feeling restless. I want to get back out there, get my hands dirty, work up a sweat. Also... I know that this probably sounds rich to you, living in Darktown and all, but I want better for her than this. She shouldn't grow up in this desperation."

"I understand completely. There's a bar, not very far from here, The Hanged Man. It's unscrupulous, but for an apostate that's really the only kind of work there is. There's usually a few people there who'd be willing to hire some magical muscle. I would prefer you doing something safe, like being a seamstress or a maid, but wasting your abilities like that...I understand not wanting to live a lie."

"Will you come with me? I know your clinic needs you, but I could use your help finding work, and if this bar is as seedy as you say, I probably don't want to go alone when I haven't been in a fight in months." They agreed to go after getting Elizabeth fed and settled in to sleep for the evening. Leandra would be home to watch over her while her parents were gone.

-

The Hanged Man smelled of sweat and piss and vomit, and Marian found herself very grateful to have avoided this place during her pregnancy. They went up to the bar and flagged down the bartender.

"What can I get you?" He asked gruffly.

"Know anyone who's hiring?"

"Well my girl does her job just fine, so you won't get a thing from me. We do have this guy, he lives here, his family's got money. Maybe he could use a couple of refugees to do some grunt work for him. His room is just at the top of those stairs. You'll know him when you see him, he's a beardless dwarf with his tits out all the time."

"Thank you. Could we get three of whatever he likes to drink?" She smiled sweetly at the bartender, then devilishly to Anders once they had the drinks.

"I take it you have a plan?"

"Yes, either we have a business meeting and we all have a drink, he drinks all three and considers us friends afterwards, or he doesn't answer his door and you and I get to share the third drink."

He smiled boyishly at her, but didn't dare burst her bubble by telling her that he couldn't get drunk anymore due to Justice. Anders carried two of the drinks and Marian carried the third. The door to the suite was open, so Marian rapped her knuckles on the door frame to announce their presence.

"Hm? Well, hello. I don't believe I ordered anything, and I know I haven't seen you two before." The dwarf asked with jovial curiosity when he looked up from his stack of papers and saw them.

"We thought you would enjoy a drink. I was wondering if you know of any work around here." Marian strode into the suite with Anders tagging along behind her.

"Plenty of work to do in Kirkwall, just depends on what your abilities are." He reached out for his glass of ale, then gestured to other chairs at his table.

"Well, lets just say that I don't care for templars."

The dwarf laughed, "I had rather suspected that, with both of you carrying staffs. I mean what're you good at? Spying? Killing? Singing Nevarran rites for the dead? What can you do?"

"I'm strongest with elemental magics, I worked as a smuggler for a while but I don't really want to do more of that."

"I am a healer, myself." Anders added. He and Marian exchanged a look before both taking a deep drink of their ale. This dwarf now had their confessions to being mages, if he had a templar hidden anywhere they were doomed.

"Hmm... Well, my brother is planning some big expedition to the Deep Roads. But, he's already sick of people asking him for work. What we need is a business partner, if you can contribute fifty sovereigns then he's sure to bring you on as partners, and whatever we haul from the Deep Roads could potentially have you set for life."

"Fifty sovereigns? Messere, I don't know what world you live in, but people in Lowtown just don't have that kind of coin."

"My name is Varric Tethras, and I live in Kirkwall, same as you. I have contacts, I can get you jobs to get that coin, but I'm a businessman, and you came in here prepared to do business."

"Well, Varric Tethras, I still don't know that I trust that giving you fifty sovereigns will benefit me in the slightest."

"I'd be more than willing to work some of these jobs with you, and you can meet my brother if you really want to. Bartrand is about as charming as a bronto, but he is the one planning this expedition."

"Well... That makes it better. Alright, Varric. Let's see what we can do." She stood and reached out, shaking his hand.

"Now we just need to find a decent entrance into the Deep Roads and we'll be golden."

"You're bringing in partners but don't even know how you're going to get down there?" Anders interjected, genuinely flabbergasted.

"Well I've heard rumors about a Ferelden Grey Warden living in Darktown. If I could just find him I'm sure he'd know of a good place."

"What would a Grey Warden be doing in Darktown?" Marian mused.

"Running a clinic, saving people... Spending every spare hour he can find with his daughter..." Anders averted his gaze, focusing firmly on his lap as he spoke.

"What? You never mentioned you were a Warden!"

"It didn't seem relevant to my life anymore." Anders looked up from his lap to see that Varric was hastily writing some notes.

"Well... we can discuss what we don't know about one another later. Do you happen to have a way into the Deep Roads?"

"Yes, I have some maps of the area back at my clinic."

"Great! Glad we could get that figured out so easily, you're a lifesaver Blondie." Varric beamed.

"I do have one favor to ask though, of both of you. The entire reason I came to Kirkwall was to save a friend who had been sent to the Gallows. I don't know if I'll be able to rescue him by myself, and I would appreciate the backup."

"What better way to get to know your new business partners than through a daring rescue? ...Uh, speaking of, you two never actually introduced yourselves to me."

"Oh Andraste, how rude of us. I am Marian Hawke, and this is Anders."

"Marian Hawke... I've heard that name. Were you part of Athenril's crew? I've heard about a crazy pregnant smuggler called Hawke that was."

"Yeah, not pregnant anymore. Our daughter is four months old now. I want her to have a better life than this, that's why I'm talking to you."

"That's better than our reason for going, we just want to be wealthier." Varric chuckled, "Sounds like we have exciting plans ahead of us."