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Griffin's Walk: Inconvenience	By : Anesor Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 1504 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The Dragon Age world, plot, and their characters aren't mine but belong to Bioware. Some characters may be my creations. I get no money for writing this.

Chapter List
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The Pilgrim's Cask, near West Hill
Warden Alistair MacTheirin -
I remembered being young and wanting like Pyley. I wanted apprentice mages, those as unsure as I was, and wanted those who flaunted themselves to compromise trainees like me. I wanted other trainees. I wanted the barmaids and whores I met on the road with Duncan. I wanted merchants and bored nobles, and stayed quiet because it was safer.
I wanted Trinna and the others grew to be hollow wisps.
From the first, I realized Trinna was someone who had a future. I hadn't missed that whatever was said about Grey Wardens, conscripts and volunteers were taken from those who wouldn't be missed. Duncan took me because I didn't have a future as a Templar. Other Wardens were thieves or murderers. I argued with Duncan even before Trinna collected her first darkspawn kill.
I wanted Trinna to be far away from the taint and death after what had been done to her family. She would have been Teyrna.
Andraste help me, I wanted her too quickly to keep protesting her Joining.
This Pyley wanted her too, but any warm body would do for him. Trinna was not his to want. She'd been trained to deal with knights in her father's service long, and she knew how to use Warden strength to make her point.
Duncan ignored me and he was right. I doubted I would have survived Ostagar without Trinna and Mouser.
Pyley's cockiness disappeared and to hide my laughter I left briefly. Trinna let him go after he'd talked.
The storm could be heard better in this unheated storage room, but Trinna looked tired. “I don't think it's him. He doesn't know Barr well enough to be heir and only cares about one thing.”
I suggested questioning the merchant next. Hamund Nelle was much more canny and recognized who we were, answering questions quickly. Soon, he wouldn't shut up. His family once held Gwaren under the Orlesians and he hated Loghain and the Queen. He wanted 'someone' to take the throne away from the traitor's daughter, but wasn't quite confident enough to say it.
Trinna and I exchanged glances at this. Anora had already done what we could never do: ensure the next generation.
The only other useful things we learned were that Eveth who died in the Blight had been the heir. Now the son and cousin seemed equal heirs. Nelle was far more interested in politics than the murder here.
That left the rest of the staff. When we returned to the kitchen, the rest were all awake and afraid. Pyley had gone to bed.
Marget was tired and snipped at the others, but not us despite her glares. Kater seemed the most nervous and Rayder started when Trinna asked the maid to come and speak to us. But he almost shrank away from us and was quiet again.
Kater remained pale when I urged her to sit on the lumber pile in the storeroom. “You only need to answer some questions.”
“But... P- pyley said...”
“He was rude and little annoys our Warden-Commander like that. We want to discover what happened and report that to the Teyrn.” I grinned at Trinna; maybe I had an excuse to get our winter gear next.
“Kater, we have questions about Barr and the inn.” Trinna then confirmed that the merchant was the only regular visitor here now and that Pyley wasn't more clever than he acted. “Has there been any deaths in the last year?”
The girl's eyes widened. “Eveth died from a wasting disease, that hit Barr real hard. Pyley came in, but I don't like him.”
“What about family?” Trinna wasn't pushing much. “Who might have a grudge against Barr?”
“No! Rayder, he's sweet. He's nothing like Pyley, quiet and nice and polite. Marget's got a mouth, but she was close to Eveth. Eveth the elder, that is. I was hired as a scully not too long before the younger left for Ostagar, because my parents wanted me far away from the Wilds with the darkspawn. Though I played with this Chasind scout.” Now that the girl had relaxed, she was almost chattering at us. “I worked hard but I played with Rayder a lot, too. Barr shut the stable down after too many died during the Blight, we only take in a few customers' horses now, though Rayder says his father's stupid about that.”
“Did anyone threaten Barr and his family?” Something was important enough that Barr lied.
Kater shook her head. “The Cask is a good place. Pyley is rude, but I like it...”
“How long have you been courting Rayder?” Trinna interrupted the girl.
She flushed a bright red. “A... I... We got close when Eveth was ill. Barr doesn't know...”
Trinna laughed. “He knew. You weren't that secretive. What are you willing to do to help your boy inherit?”
Kater blanched. “Andraste save us. I wouldn't do anything. Rayder doesn't like dealing with people at all, he probably couldn't run the inn... He wants to travel and... I'm staying with him.”
“Did Barr forbid this travel?” Trinna prodded.
“No, Rayder wanted permission first, but Barr still hadn't recovered from Eveth's death to ask.” She began to weep. “He keeps it all in, but Rayder's going to be broken when Barr's death sinks in.”
I wasn't convinced because people who kept it all in didn't share with anyone. We still had to interview the cousin. Trinna sent for Marget next.
That woman was about Pyley's age, and she sat down, flipping her fiery red hair back off her face. “Sers? What do you want to know?”
Watching her carefully, I asked the questions. “You're inheriting part of the inn, aren't you. Marget? More if your cousin leaves, like he's planning.”
“How did you know?” Marget uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. “Barr doesn't want to even hear and never let Ray even hint at leaving outside family meetings. He'd threaten Ray and Ray would give in, getting quiet after that threat every time. I worried that Ray would just take off alone and he'd get in trouble because his parents kept him really sheltered.”
“Wouldn't that leave you the inn?” Trinna prodded.
“What happened to my uncle? He went up to your room in a panic and now he's dead. You're questioning me?” She was a little belligerent, even if we were the armed ones.
I could respect that. “He died while we were speaking to you earlier. We came ask about the other corpse.”
Marget's jaw dropped. “Another body? Who?”
“Someone who died some time ago. So who in your staff could be a murderer? Which of you would kill for the inn?” Trinna pressed, leaning closer.
“I don't know. Pyley is the only new one here. The rest of us have been here for a long time. Kater and Rayder are sweet, but no one but them thinks Uncle disapproves.” Marget didn't say much more.
When I looked at Trinna, she shook her head.
I went to collect Rayder, not letting Marget say anything. His eyes were wet and he was close to confessing to anything we wanted.
But that wouldn't necessarily make it any more true that what Barr wrote.
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A/N: Thanks to my beta reader who has been kind enough to read this and point out stupid flubs. Any typos that remain are not intentional... Reviews or a PM to let me know what you think would be very appreciated.
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Griffin's Walk: Inconvenience