Ghost Story

[GamesMaster]

Nothing.

The house is empty. It's sunset, for some reason; how many hours passed while he was in that dream state, fighting for his life, for Emma's? She's not on the cot where he left her; she's not in the library; she's not in the basement. She's nowhere to be seen. There's no haunting, there's no sense of otherwordly presence. It's just.... empty.

He's getting desperate when he finally hears a knock on the door. The figures outside the peephole are nobody he's seen before; an elderly man, walking with aid of a cane, and a young woman that might be his daughter, with a firm jaw and flaming red hair. Behind him, another redheaded woman (a younger daughter?) struggles with a mule that refuses to come up the rest of the way to the house. 

[Varric]

Varric yanks the door open, expression very unwelcoming and Bianca out but pointed down towards his feet. "What?" he snaps. "This isn't a good time."

[Carver Amell]

"You must be Varric Tethras," says the old man, pushing just a little in front of the woman at his side. "I am Carver Vallen, once called Carver Amell."

[Varric]

Varric blinks slowly, then his eyes narrow. "You alive or a ghost?"

"Beg your pardon?"

The dwarf barely spares a glance at the redhead. "Are you a live or a ghost?" he repeats firmly.

[Carver Amell]

"As far as I know I'm alive. I've just travelled from Nyra and I am lacking a place to stay."

[Aveline Vallen]

"Why are you asking that?" the redhead demands. 

Varric smiles thinly. "Because the last three Amells I met are all ghosts." Or at least I thought there were three of them at first. 

[Carver Amell]

A faraway look comes into Carver's eye. "So that was real," he murmurs, shaking his head. "I was sure I'd imagined it. A malevolent force, a ghost... But, forgive me, my mind wanders. May we enter?"

[GamesMaster]

"Dad," calls the younger woman ,tugging at the reigns. "Get your damn mule to obey!"

[Varric]

"Try shooting it. Best technique to getting an obedient horse. Got a good recipe for them too," Varric suggests, taking note of the title given. "And why should I let you in?" 

[Carver Amell]

Carver turns, making some clucking noises with his tongue, and the mule suddenly trots forward, nearly dragging the woman off her feet. When he turns back, his face softens. 

"You don't have to. We can find another place to stay. But I'd heard... well. I'd heard some interesting stories about the house, and I was wondering... You see, I think the ghost is my sister."

[Varric]

"Thought you gave up on having sisters," Varric says, expression closed off.

[Carver Amell]

Carver stills. "No. I had a sister. Just the one." 

[Varric]

His companion reaches out to grip Carver's arm, glaring at Varric. But the dwarf doesn't care, given that he replies, "so are you denying the twin you di--"

"Shut up," the redhead snarls, pushing past Carver to get right in Varric's face.

[Carver Amell]

"How do you know about that?" asks Carver, his voice low. 

[Varric Thedas]

The faintest hint of a smile appears. "I'm Alydran. I know a lot of shite."