Blood from Stone [AU]

[Bethany]

"I know," Bethany says just as quietly. "I... I won't forget that option but... I do want children. Just... thought it'd be next year at the earliest. I'm well off, healthy and willing to put in the time. I don't want to... go that route just because I'm scared. Life is precious, even when it's just embers yet."

[Helene Dakesh]

"Are you settling toward Astea's worship?" asks Helene, now curious. 

[Bethany]

Bethany wrinkles her nose. "Ugh, don't ask," she grumbles. Bastion, Ciren, Astea... Teiris, Alydra, Vangal, even Valshathe and Uyrll. None of them have really... felt like... nothing's made that click like it feels like your deity should. So glad my style of magic is so weird. And that Bastion is kind enough to let me still get spells even though I'm openly shopping around. Ick. Don't think of it like that, that's gross. Disrespectful. Well, maybe not to Naugrix, I suppose. "Just... having Carver as a brother is all," she adds. 

[Helene Dakesh]

"This one suggests spending more focus on the matter," they say, with a firm nod. "This one has had no indications of imminent danger, but pregnancy can be very dangerous."

[Bethany]

"i know," Bethany says with a fond smile at the samsaran, slowing for a moment as they walk home. "I love you," she blurts out, blushing a little.

[Helene Dakesh]

"The feeling is mutual," they assure her. 

The Tethras Compound has been growing over the past two years. The addition of a low stone wall sets off the three properties from their identical neighbors; renovations had made all three much more accessible for Merrill's chair, and Merrill had managed to coax a surprisingly lovely garden from the properties now that there weren't fences in the way. One of the parlors had been expanded into a ballroom, while another contained a full gym with various training equipment; the basement of one had been turned into a stillroom, and there was plenty of space in another for a full tinkerer's workshop, while still leaving room for an extensive library. For such a large property, the inhabitants were few: Beth, when she wasn't at Don's; Carver, when he was in town; Merrill, always, and Varric and Helene, along with two mabari. 

[Bethany]

Beth glances down the street, to where the Smiths live, and sighs. Well, more the house that her sister shares with Cindy Smith and less the house the older Smiths live in with their newborn daughter. William, their only son, lives there some of the time, but he's recently entered into the guard program so he's not there nearly as much of late. So glad I didn't ask Mar along. Cindy would have made things a lot more uncomfortable. She'd have been supportive, I'm sure, just... It just always feels like she's keeping a file of strengths and weaknesses, of secrets, all the time in her head. 

"Have you heard word of Zevran or Isabela?" she asks idly, trying to distract herself before they go inside. If I'm dwelling on this, Dad'll read it off my face in the first minute.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene nods. "They are expected within the next two weeks, depending on when the river can be forded."

[Bethany]

Bethany blinks. "River?" Where did they even go this time? Ugh, I couldn't imagine wandering around like they do. No home, no bed, no washroom or laundry, no kitchens or temples or market. 

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene nods. "The river to the west often floods its banks during early summer, causing delays as adventuring parties wait for the water to be slow enough to cross without risking being swept away. Of course, when parties cannot cross, neither can messages, so it is difficult to know when they will arrive without divining for the answers."

[Bethany]

"...shouldn't someone build a bridge?" Bethany says, frowning, as her civil servant training and instincts rear up.

[Helene Dakesh]

"Several have been tried. The difficulty is in building high enough that barges can still use the river for transportation, without  involving complex mechanisms. There was once a sophisticated vaulted bridge, but it collapsed ninety-seven years ago, and as the reasons are unclear and the original architect deceased, plans to replace it have been stalled."

[Bethany]

"Hrrm," Bethan replies in a disgruntled voice that signals the start of another private research project. "I see." A beat as she unlocks the front door. "You wouldn't happen to have any books on engineering, would you?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Has Bethany met this one?" they ask, with a wry smile. "This one has books on everything."

[Carver Amell]

"--seen a cat that big, you know? But there he was, teaching me how to use my magic! So then Jass said-- I told you Jass was coming here, right?"

Temporary Guardsman Tethras was practically bouncing out of his boots with glee, entirely unperturbed about being in one of the rougher areas of Coalside. To be fair, he, Hunter, and Junior Trainee Smith were accompanying two trained guardsmen on their patrol, but they were meant to be keeping an eye out for trouble, not yammering away.