At Your Side (A Dragon Age fanfiction)

All That Remains

Gamlen paced up and down in front of the fireplace. "Tell me about the flowers, Evelyn."

"There's a killer in Kirkwall. He sends women white lilies the day he takes them," she said. Her mind was racing, trying to see where she'd gone wrong. She'd killed this murderer, she'd been sure of it. Gascard DuPuis had vials of blood, he had women's clothes, he was a blood mage ... he must have been the killer! She'd been concerned when Emeric, the Templar who had investigated the murders before she'd gone after DuPuis, was found dead in an alley. Why hadn't she acted on that suspicion, gone looking for whatever information Emeric may have left behind? She'd been so sure DuPuis was the one ...

"Why would you think he would take Leandra? Your mother is hardly young."

"He doesn't care how old they are. Ninette was in her late thirties, the mage Mharen older than that." At Gamlen's mystified look, she clarified the names. "Women who were taken by this monster."

"Why didn't you do something about it?" Gamlen demanded, crossing his arms and glaring at her.

Bodahn came back in, panting, before she could answer. "I found them ... messere. They hadn't ... gone far." Behind him were Fenris, Aveline, and Varric. Evelyn could have thrown her arms around all three of them, it was such a relief to have their solid presence here.

"Your mother, Hawke?" Varric asked. "Bodahn said she was taken?" His eyes moved to the lilies and he blanched. "You killed that guy!"

"I thought so." Hawke's voice caught in her throat, her vision blurring, and she turned away to compose herself. She didn't see Fenris start forward toward her or Aveline's hand grasping his arm to pull him back.

"Bodhan, did you say there was a note? Did you see what she did with it?" Aveline asked.

"No, Captain. I didn't see. I'm so sorry, messere," he said, turning to Hawke with stricken eyes.

"This isn't your fault, Bodahn," Hawke said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't think that it is. No one could have taken better care of Mother than you have." This was her fault; her mother had been her responsibility. They had all been her responsibility, Bethany, Carver, and Mother; her father had made her promise to look out for them. She'd lost her brother and sister; she'd be damned if she'd lose her mother, too. "Let's go," she said abruptly.

"Where?" Aveline asked, surprised.

"The foundry," Fenris answered, his green eyes steady on Hawke's face.

Hawke nodded. "It's the best lead we have—we know he used to use that foundry for ... whatever he does." She swallowed, trying to stave off the nausea she felt at the idea of her mother in the hands of the killer. "Gamlen, why don't you go back to your house, in case she comes there." Her uncle nodded, and Hawke looked at her servants, all of them looking lost and frightened. "The rest of you, stay here in case she comes back. Bodahn, send messages to the others, have them start asking around, tell them to come here with anything they find out." Isabela knew Lowtown, Anders knew Darktown, Sebastian knew Hightown, and Merrill often stumbled onto things. Between them all, they should be able to find out something. She patted Bodahn on the shoulder. "We'll be back ... as soon as we can."

There wasn't much talk as they hurried through the bustle of Hightown and into Lowtown. People were beginning to talk of the death of Saemus Dumar, an event Hawke recalled as though it had happened a long time ago. She was shocked to think that it had been less than twelve hours since she'd found Saemus dead in the Chantry. But there was no room in her right now for sorrow over the innocent, idealistic boy killed to satisfy some woman's idea of the love of the Maker. All she could think of was getting to the foundry, and praying that her mother would be there when she did.