Ghost Story

[GamesMaster]

"That's fine. It's just... She must miss her friends from Nyra."

[Varric]

"Not so much, no," he says evasively. "Not from there actually. Small village, rather like here. Orphan and homeless when I met her."

[GamesMaster]

Rhea blinks. "Oh? How did you meet?"

[Varric]

The dwarf smiles a little. "She was squatting in a house I bought. Didn't see a reason to kick her out; she hadn't damaged anything after all. In fact, she was taking care of the books left behind and teaching herself from them impressed me enough to give her a shot and things went from there."

[GamesMaster]

"Not this house, I'd hope?"

[Varric]

Varric cocks his head to the side. "Why so?"

[GamesMaster]

"I'd hate to think there was a homeless child here in Golden Shores not being looked after. We wouldn't have missed something like that."

[Varric]

"You'd be surprised what people can miss," Varric says sadly. "I know you'd have helped if you saw such a thing but between you work and family, how much attention can you spare? Which isn't a fault mind you. Family comes first and second."

[GamesMaster]

"She'd have to be getting food from somewhere. If not me, where?"

[Varric]

Varric hesitates for a moment, then shrugs. "There was a fairly sizable stock of tinned food still in the basement. Bit of a gamble, eating it, but doable I suppose. Plus there are some gardens. Gone to weed, but again, doable." He shrugs again. "Didn't think to ask, to be honest."

[GamesMaster]

Rhea purses her lips. "Where did she come from? Not here -- she's no relation of anyone's here."

[Varric]

"Never asked," Varric admits with yet another shrug, a tinge in the back of his mind. "She's had a hard life, as you could guess given I found her homeless, and doesn't like to talk about it."

[GamesMaster]

"Did she cross the wilderness alone to get here?" Rhea tuts. "At least she has you now."

[Varric]

"That she does," Varric says, voice as solid as Junon's word.

[GamesMaster]

But the words stick with him as he goes about the rest of his day. Where did Emma come from? How did she live before he got here? He doesn't want to pester her with questions, but his brain can't quite leave them alone either. 

That night, as he studies his books, he hears baying from the backyard. He rushes to the window in time to see Silence chasing off another canine, a lanky wolflike creature with reddish-brown fur.