Ghost Story

[Carver Amell]

Carver's face darkens. "That journal... I should have burned it. But I couldn't."

[Varric]

"Damn glad you didn't, I needed it to solve all this."

[Carver Amell]

"It might be worth it if it got my twin's name out of your damn mouth," he grumbles, with far less rancor than his words might normally accompany.

[Varric]

"Never moved past that?" Varric asks, tone more curious than anything else.

[Carver Amell]

"Moved past-- No. I don't speak of her."

[Varric]

"Not the grief," Varric clarifies, leaning back and staring at the bones. Anymore organizing or cleaning would just be wasted effort and he knows it. Still wants to keep doing, keep moving. "Just the name part, the not speaking."

[Aveline Vallen]

"It really was an accident," Aveline says suddenly. "And he does regret it. He's tried to make up for it, as best one can for such a thing. To prevent anything like that from happening again, at his hand or any other."

[Carver Amell]

"You cannot imagine what I have been through, losing her. No. I do not speak her name, nor allow it to be spoken."

[Varric]

Varric gives him a flat look. "Of course I can't know exactly how it felt, but you really think you're the only one to love something that was taken away from you?"

[Carver Amell]

"It's different when it's a twin."

[Varric]

"And it's different when it's a spouse. It's always different."

[Carver Amell]

"We lost a child, once. Stillborn. That was the only thing that came close. To lose a grown child would be worse I think. A twin is half yourself."

[Varric]

"Depends on the twins," Varric points out, raising a hand before Carver speaks. "But I get you and--" He rolls his eyes a little. "And her were closer than most. Her diary made the perfectly clear." He snorts lightly. "Once she learned to spell it was clear anyway. I cannot fathom how she came to the conclusion 'love' was spelled with an 'a' and a 'h' at the start."

[Carver Amell]

"She was my heart and soul, and I was her arms and strength. And I had to watch her die. Small wonder I don't want people who never met her talking to me about her."

[Varric]

"So did I." Varric says with a wince. "Ghosts."