Ghost Story

[GamesMaster]

"Adventurers all turn to magic eventually," she agrees. 

[Varric]

Gods save me from the homespun (bullshite) wisdom. "Mmmh," he replies in a diplomatic tone. "Real shame. Lot of death and loss in the family."

[GamesMaster]

"Oh yes. Very sad. Even the dog died before her time."

[Varric]

"They did have a dog then? Don't happen to recall the name, do you?"

[GamesMaster]

"Hmm. Something peculiar. Hush? Quiet? Silent? Something to that effect. Never barked, that one. Some big breed."

[Varric]

"Big breed? Surely not a mabari?" Shite, is that not Emma's dog? Of course not, that doesn't make sense. But-- Bethie. She seems to like Emma. If it was her dog...

[GamesMaster]

"That's the breed. Real good with the girl child, they said. Sort of a protector."

[Varric]

"Very much so, yes. Mabari are intensely loyal and protective." I just hope the mbari is actually as well inclined towards Emma as she seemed. "Was Leandra a local?" he asks, the thought suddenly occurring to him.

[GamesMaster]

"Not originally, no. Sad story, that. She ran away from her family in Nyra with some bard. Malcolm, his name was. He knocked her up and abandoned her, left her alone here in Golden Shores. We did what we could for the bairns, of course, but it wasn't until she married Lord Verburry that they got any comfort in this cruel world."

[Varric]

Bard named Malcolm (probably an elf or merikos elf). "He wasn't a local I'm sure, not with that sort of behavior," he dishes.

[GamesMaster]

"Heavens, no. Of course not. He was from the Oak, of all places. One of those animal lovers."

[Varric]

"Ahhh," Varric says knowingly, nodding. "Well that makes sense. Heard more than a few of them don't ever marry, not legally or even with a homesteader handfast, just take up with a partner until they don't." Which is as sensible a method as any (but biddy here will love it) really.

[GamesMaster]

She sniffs. "If you're lucky. I hear many of them don't bother about how many legs their partner has, if you know what I mean. Animal lovers, the lot of them."

[Varric]

Because not all sapients have two legs, you racist bitch. "Well, at least they're there and not here," he offers, though he's thinking more for their sake and not the villagers'. "This has been very interesting, Widow Smith. Thank you very much for the conversation."

[GamesMaster]

"Of course ,of course. Any time you want to keep an old woman company I'm happy to share some tea."