Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Marian Hawke]

Marian turns away, composing her face as best she can. "This is our  home, Varric." 

[Varric]

Shitty home. Varric sighs. "I wasn't born in Nyra, but it's home now, more than Orzammar ever was. Home can change. Sometimes it was never a place anyway, but the people in it. But I'll drop it for now. Just... consider it a little."

[Carver Amell]

"Maybe... maybe he'll stop, now. Maybe he won't want to mess with Varric," offers Carver, sounding dubious. 

[Bethany]

"Varric said he shot his hand off," Bethany squeaks, reminded of what the dwarf had said.

[Carver Amell]

He grins. "It was so cool!"

[Bethany]

And now he's getting smacked on the arm. A lot. Gently, but a lot.

[Carver Amell]

Carver laughs. "It was! You should have seen the dumb look on his dumb face!"

[Bethany]

"Uuuuuggh, you're such a boy sometimes!"

[Carver Amell]

Carver sticks out his tongue. "hey, do you think he'll teach me? Then we won't have to worry about nothing."

[Varric]

"Nah, with your build, better to go solid and up close," Varric replies from the doorway. "We can start with a club and staff, see how that pans out."

[Bethany]

Bethany's head comes up and she shoots the dwarf a betrayed look. "Don't encourage him!"

[Carver Amell]

"What about a sword? Like a really really big sword?"

[Varric]

"Club and staff first," Varric says firmly. "Always best to have a firm grounding before you start specializing. See if you should go two-hander, one and shield and so forth. Clubs and staves are cheap, easily replaced and don't raise many eyebrows so you can carry them places you couldn't have a sword on you." And they're not sharp, which, twelve.

[Carver Amell]

"Fine, fine, but then a sword?"

[Varric]

"Tell you what- when you're able to beat Marian in both staff and club two out of three times, you can move up to blades," Varric offers, pitching his  voice to ensure Marian can hear. There. By the time he can train past the age and experience advantage, he'll be ready. Especially given that Marian will bust her ass to stay ahead of him.