Under Darkness [AU]

[Marian Hawke]

She blanches. "I'm sure it was a polymorph, or an illusion."

[Tethras Clan]

"And the stabbing? When he killed you?" Varric tags in smoothly. "That was him, I'm certain of it. How did he react, when you told him about finding Merrill?"

[Marian Hawke]

She frowns, looking around the garden. "That blossom's down below, but it's not in great condition. Too much pruning, too early. So I suppose we'll never know."

[Tethras Clan]

 Varric stares at her a moment. "Pruning," he says flatly.

[Marian Hawke]

She nods. "When new transplants come in, there's a staging area where we quarantine them for a time. Then, we prune back any that we don't want to keep, and transplant the ones we do. That bloom, however, I'm afraid we messed up some; we lost parts we should have kept. We gave it extra sun to see if it grows back, but I doubt it will." She hangs her head. "Sorry, Papa." 

[Tethras Clan]

Extra sun... 'Remember this. Remember this Hawke.' Gods, I'm sorry this is hurting you so much, daughter. I am so sorry. I wish I could take the pain for you.

"That sounds like the normal manner in which... trivial or redundant memories are... trimmed so they can be stored more easily," Wynne comments. "However, what Hawke did to many of her... Jadan flowers is far more severe."

"Is... is there a... composte? Where the trimmed parts go?" Aveline asks slowly.

[Marian Hawke]

"I don't know," she says offhandedly to Aveline, but her focus is on Wynne. "What do you mean, more severe? Is something else wrong with the garden?"

[Tethras Clan]

"Typically, a... memory of that significance would get very little trimming at all. And we've been able to determine that there are other memories, important ones, that you seem to have discarded in their entirety," the elderly woman explains patiently.

[Marian Hawke]

She frowns. "Now that can't be right. We keep everything of significance." A pause. "Maybe you should talk to The Champion? Solving problems is her kind of thing." 

[Tethras Clan]

"Can you summon her as well? Or do we have to find her?" Aveline asks after glancing at the others.

[Marian Hawke]

"I mean, I could go find her, but you might as well walk with me, save us a trip. I know where she'll be." 

[Tethras Clan]

"Lead on then," Zevran says, sounding slightly bemused by all this. So many Hawkes... and yet none of them really her. Strange and almost... sad.

[Marian Hawke]

Tethras leads them out of the chamber, out to the open path. She seems to know where she's going; she takes turns and twists that Varric would be able to track if he knew where they started. Seems to be toward the interior of the garden, possibly; she goes in a consistent direction for some time, and he doesn't catch sight of the outer walls. But then, who knows in a place like this?

Abruptly, she turns a corner, and instead of yet another intersection with a statue in it, there's a wide open clearing. The clearing is circular, clearly the center of the maze of gardens; in place of statuary, there's a large, white greenhouse with no obvious means of entry. They can't see inside; the glass is frozen, ice formed on the interior of the greenhouse glass despite the warmth of the day outside. 

With a shout, an armored figure gives a mighty kick to one of the panes. It rebuffs her; she scowls, panting for breath as she studies her opponent. There's a familiar staff on her back, and her hair is short, unlike Marian's below. The Champion of Coalside is larger, brawnier, than in real life, and there's a faint glow around her, an aura not unlike that of a paladin.

"Having fun?" snarks Tethras, causing the woman to turn. She scowls, but her expression brightens when she sees the rest of the group.

"Aveline! Zevran! Varric! Wynne, good to see you. And-- Silence? What's my best girl doing here?" she asks, grinning. 

[Tethras Clan]

Silence's ears perk up at being addressed but only for a moment. Flat scent. But... She glances at Zevran, who smiles ands gestures for her to go ahead. Still a trifle unsure, she trots over to get a better sniff and say hello to... not Winter Alpha.

"Interesting design," Zevran comments idly. "Very... chic. Very cool."

[Marian Hawke]

"Thanks," she says, patting Silence's ears. "Wish I knew what the hell it was for, though. Some new feature appears in the garden and none of us know why? That can't be good."