To track a legend...

Katrina mumbled something incoherent as Varric’s fingers wove through her long white hair and she shifted so her head was in his lap, eyes lazily closed as she relaxed under his hands.

“Tomorrow, way too comfortable right here…” But she sighed, agreeing with him and forcing herself into a sitting position, her knees touching Varric’s leg. “As for stock, we should have enough by the end of the week. Just give me a few days to track them down. Not too hard, I’ve done this before. In about a month I will call my old contacts but before long…”

The heat was making her sleepy but Katrina could not let herself fall asleep, so she stood and stretched. Succeeding on waking herself up a little bit, Katrina stood, wanting to explore a little bit. She had purchased the furniture with the place but it was ugly as… well…. You get the idea. Katrina would get rid of it and have to buy new furniture or she would vomit… Could she vomit? Katrina had no idea.
**

“Just keep your eyes from popping out of your head and tongue in your mouth okay?” Katrina stated flatly as she attempted to make a joke. Then Arthur showed up again and began chewing her out for disloyalty to the crown and yada yada, ought to haul her to a preist right now, yada yada, kill your friend for treason if you don’t comply, yada yada. That seemed to have caught Varric’s attention
Suddenly, Katrina downright lost her temper and her fist collided with the king’s nose, blood gushing everywhere. Then she grabbed Varric’s hand and they vanished from view, “the stables,” she whispered into his ear and with that they were off.

Varric smiled as Kat made herself more comfortable, but it didn't last long. She readjusted herself, reassuring that they will have an inventory by the end of the week and by the end of the month she would reconnect with her contacts. "Are you sure you are ready to go back into this business. I remember you where a bit... off about it. At least I remember you being kinda iffy about it when you started." said Varric, double checking. He wouldn't want to force Kat back into this. Kat got up, he guessed to double check the rest of the house. It wasn't very big, it had 2 bedrooms and two bathrooms. Heck other ten the store itself, the largest room was either the master bedroom or the sun room, which also acted as the living room. Then a thought crept into his head. This ugly little place was his first true home. Heck even when he was part of the cult he only roomed there on occasion. The thought was nice.

---

Varric had to hold in his laughter as him and Kat ran towards the stable. The stables where currently empty. "It will be easier to get out on one horse, which was is yours? I can make it invisible along with us." said Varric. After being pointed out which horse to use and getting it ready they pair escaped the castle. After a bit of space was placed between them and the castle the horse had slowed down to a walk and Varric burst out laughing. "Man did you see his face, first you punched him, by the way that was a nice left hook, then we disappeared. His face was priceless." said Varric.

“I have killed more people than I care to admit,” Katrina sighed. “I’ve lost count as a weapon that never dulls and the shine stays the same.” Her voice sounded hollow and emotionless before she forced a smile on her face before following him around the place as Varric investigated. He got this bog ‘ol goofy look on his face causing Katrina to arch an eyebrow but she didn’t question it.
“I am going to assume you don’t want separate rooms,” She muttered, looking up at him and arching an eyebrow as if she had just suggested performing an autopsy on live man.

**

Katrina sighed, it was funny and it had felt good to punch the pompous brat in the face. After being hidden safely inside the stables she let go of Varric’s hand and leaned against an poll that was supposed to be supporting the thatched roof.

Finding her horse, she led the gelding out of the stall and ran her fingers over his face whispering soft words before saddling him. Varric got on the horse and Katrina sat behind him, taking care so there would be space between the two. She was not a damsel in distress to be pressed up against the man in front of her. Instead she held loosely onto his tunic.

After some time, Varric had turned them visible again and he busted up laughing over the idea that Katrina had broken the King’s nose.
Katrina was so relieved to be rid of Arthur and his constantly breathing down her neck she couldn’t help but laugh as well.
“He deserved it.”

"Is it to much to hope for?" asked Varric as innocently as he possibly could. "If you want I can sleep in another bed?" Usually he was good at compromising. But when he was it was with one of his targets and he usually made them think they got the better deal. It didn't work so well on people he knew. "I mean what harm is in it? We used to lay out under the stairs all the time."

---

"I'm not saying he didn't, although I feel sorry for you. He probably knows where you live and I don't think he will take that lightly. And the fact that certain items now are gone from the castle won't help his mood." said Varric. He pulled out an apple from his pockets. He had raided the kitchens as well, why not grab a few snacks while we was out. His hand spilled into his pocket and pulled out a pastry. "Want it?" asked Varric holding it out to Kat. He took a bite of his apple. Currently the horse was just moving slowly on it's own. Kat was still lightly holding onto him, which he had to admit, he didn't mind it. "So Ms. Kat, what are you going to do now that you have punched the king, technically committed treason and hopefully broke you engagement." joked Varric.

Katrina rolled her eyes, “As long as you don’t try anything.”
There she went teasing him again about what he couldn’t have. But the teasing didn’t last long before she had wandered into another room and was glaring at a hideous painting. “This is ugly…. Whoever painted this needed serious professional help. What do you think?”

Katrina ran a hand through her thick white hair and sighed before darting back downstairs to go look at the shop bit. It had started snowing outside and the white fluffy flakes. “We should probably put a fire in the fire place.” She mused out loud.

**

At the Pastry Katrina shook her head.

“Already ate,” She muttered, letting go of his tunic and petting her horse before settling back down into her original spot; considering his questions. What would she do now…. Katrina chewed her lip.
“Move and go back to my goat herd most likely.”

Varric pulled Kat into a bear hug, his face beaming like a child getting what he wanted from Christmas. "I promise." said Varric. It was a compromise he could work with. Then Kat pointed out a painting. It was rather quite ugly. "Still not as bad as Arthur's face." commented Varric. None of the less he picked up the painting and took it down. He placed the painting towards the wall. He could just pick up a painting that looked better. "But then again you just bought this house and everything inside it." He followed Kat downstairs, who was looking now looking outside. Small flakes fell from the sky. Kat mentioned that they should light a fire. Varric simply nodded. He checked the back of the house and found a couple of cut logs from the last people who lived here. After a few minutes of carry a majority of the wood inside Varric started a fire using something Kat called a match. It was interesting. All he had to do is slide it across that side of the box the came it and a fire started. He sat in sun room again where the fire place was located. He looked up and watched the snow slowly build up on the roof.

"This is so surreal..." he said quietly to himself.

---

Varric shrug and put the pastry back in his pocket, her loss. She told him what she was planning on doing and Varric snorted a bit. "Do you think he will let you live in peace? Kings aren't known to be the type to let things go." said Varric. "Not to mention your family is probably going to be angry at you to. It's not like you can live a peaceful life anymore after that."

Katrina laughed, following him back to the sun room and soaked up heat again.

“Is it?” She asked, considering what he had said. “I guess it is.”

Briefly she wondered if he dreamed that none of this had happened or whatever he could have done in that box. What would have happened if that was indeed the case and Varric was still trapped in the box of doom somewhere?

Katrina sighed and slid over to Varric, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder.

**

“I get my family to move then. Da never liked Arthur anyway,” Katrina shrugged, rubbing her forehead with the heel of her hand. “We have disappeared before we can do it again. “

Katrina hadn’t been entirely truthful when she said he father was a knight. More like an assassin that looked like a knight when he needed to or a farmer with a herd of goats. But Varric didn’t need to know that.

"I never had a home before... heck even when I was still part of that cult I was mostly on my own and rarely actually stayed with them. It's weird have a place I can return to." Varric wrapped his arms around Kat. He stared out at the glass window and watched the small puffs of snow build up on the bottom of the window. "I hate to make either of us head out today but I just realized something. You just got this house, we don't have any food aside from the cracker tray from when they where showing us around..." Varric then got up and scavenged out the jacket Kat gave him earlier. "How about we check this town out, he don't have to meet anyone in particular, just to get a feel for this town... and to buy food."

----

"You have disappeared before?" said Varric, making note of what Kat said. "If you want help just let me know, I have experience with disappearing." Something didn't make add up, if her father was a knight even if his arm was bad he could still live in the castle and not have to worry about anything. They would probably just have him teach new recruits. And if they disappeared before it's not something to take likely, and the fact she was at the castle made no sense either. If her family disappeared they would have had to cut off connections to the castle.

Varric slid off the horse and pulled it's reigns, leading it off the track. "Your story doesn't add up."

“Hungry already?” Katrina grinned; she wouldn’t be hungry for some time yet. But she forgot Varric ran on a human male stomach that processed food way fast than hers ever could. Reaching over she patted his stomach and got to her feet. Wandering back to the front of the shop she grabbed her wallet and jacket, pulling them on.
Waiting for Varric, she pulled on some gloves to keep her freezing flesh from touching anyone.
“We need to buy you some clothes as well or you’re going to freeze.”
With that she opened the front door and began the short, but cold, walk to the grocery store.
**
Katrina watched him through narrowed eyes, “Be that as it may, I don’t have to explain my entire life to you.”
Katrina yanked on the bridal and caused the horse to nicker in distress as she reached for the reins. After retrieving them from Varric, she wheeled her horse about, eyes still glaring.
“My horse, I say where we go.” She slid foreword and waited for his decision. Several strands of long brown hair had fallen into her face with her brown eyes boring into him.

"Yeah, a bit. I'm just thinking more of in a few minutes when I am really hungry." said Varric. He locked the door after him and Kat left, handing the key back to her. "We should get a copy of that at some point." said Varric simply. He pulled his hood up over his head to help against the cold. He walked next to Kat and looked around. The whole town seemed friendly enough, people where waving, asking how they where. Apparently word travels fast around here because most people called them "the couple who just bought that old store-house." Which honestly could be bad if there covers where blown but if they got a reputation as a nice couple the new would probably be hard to believe.

They arrived at the store and Varric's eyes widen. It looked like the king's kitchen in here, it was huge and had so many different foods, many of which he had never seen before. He picked up a small hand cart to put food in and just walked around, putting things in the cart if he thought it was interesting. Although he was pretty sure Kat was actually getting food they needed. Most of the stuff Varric got was junk food.

---

"Well sorry if I don't like to be lead on, considering I just save your butt twice now one would expect at least a bit of truth." said Varric slightly annoyed. He stared back up at Kat, her eyes where filled with such animosity he wondered if this girl rather just watch the world burn. The reigns where tugged from him and Varric just rolled his eyes before walking out into the woods. "Fine, since you obviously don't need my help anymore i'll be on my way, but don't say I didn't warn you." Varric headed off by himself. It honestly bugged him that he was leaving her by herself now that she had two factions after her but it was her fault

Katrina grinned and watched Varric put stuff in the basket they did not need. So covertly she put them back onto the shelves and managed to haul Varric away from the alcohol section of the store.

“We don’t need that,” Katrina stated before distracting him with the candy isle. After about two hours they managed to get all of their shopping done (but she was seriously considering a monkey back pack for Varric since he had wandered off twice) and they were headed back out into the cold again. Katrina holding one of the bags in one hand and Varric holding the other headed back to, what would now be, their own. During this trip she had picked up an extra shop key for Varric and wordlessly she handed it to him as she unlocked the front door.

**

Katrina tightened her grip on the reigns before glaring at Varric, calling after him.
“Did you ever consider, Its not my secret to tell?” She arched a dark eyebrow before kicking the horse in the sides and cantering away down the path. Katrina stood up in the stirrups as the horse swayed underneath her, closing her eyes briefly treasuring these brief moments of freedom before they would be snatched away again.

Then a thought hit her head, she could go. She could disappear. Arthur couldn’t risk angering her father, he was to valuable an asset. Katrina was very good at disappearing. Without another thought she wheeled the horse off the hunting path and vanished into the woods.

By the time they left the supermarket Varric had a vague feel Kat was annoyed by his running and pulling almost everything off the shelf. They left the store, picked up a copy of the house key and a few extra clothes for him to wear to get started. Kat wordlessly handed him his key and he slid it into the lock, opening the door. The heat from inside the house greeted them warmly as they walked in. Varric closed the door behind him and locked the door. He carried his bag upstairs, shivering the remaining cold off of his body and he help Kat put stuff away. The snow outside had picked up and there where at least a few inches on the ground right now. Kat had picked something called a newspaper at the supermarket and Varric picked it up scanning over the pages. On the second labeled weather it made a note that today was predicted to be one of the coldest days recorded in a few years.

"We can predict the weather now? I remember when it was a case of I think this is how it's going to turn out today based on a rock they placed in the center of town, calling it a weather rock." laughed Varric. He walked back over to the sun room and sat on the couch. They had one of those magic boxes Kat called a TV eariler. He searched around to find the remote. He had seen Kat use one back at the Inn and she told him what it did when he ask. He found it after a few seconds and flicked on the TV. He winced slightly when it turned on and he kinda wanted to turn away from it. "Well I guess I should give this thing another shot huh?"

---

Varric just flat out ignored what the girl had said, she had some problem that was for sure. It had been a few hours after the pair had separated and Varric honestly didn't travel very far. Around the time the split up it the day only had an hour or two left so he spent it set up a camp. Varric sat around the fire. It was still early fall so the days where warm but the night where cold. He had caught a rabbit not to far away from camp and he munched on the cakes and jerky he pillaged from the castle as he watched the rabbit slowly cook. It took forever but when it was finished he ate it happily. He let his fire die down a bit, now that he was done cooking he didn't want anyone to find his camp so he kept the fire low. He laid on his back and stared up at the stars, debating what he should do with his life next. And then he spotted smoke, a lot of smoke.

Varric sat up and looked in the direction of the smoke. It was in the same general direction he was moving with Kat before but there was two much smoke for it to be a camp fire. Varric collected his things and put the fire out. He moved through the dark forest relying on the moonlight that broke through the tree tops to see where he was going. He got to a house that was set on fire, a symbol burning in front of the house. The symbol of the cult he left the day prior. Varric ran towards the house, and after a few attempts broke down the door and went to check the burning house for survivors before it was to late.

Katrina grinned, “Scientists use satellites to get weather readings, yes. Much more intelligent than rocks I would think.”

She watched as Varric picked up the remote from the table and scrolled through the cable channels.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”  She then turned away and vanished into another room to put the groceries away in the fridge.  Returning, she sat on the couch, running her fingers through her hair, wondering briefly is she should dye it back to her natural hair color. Well… as close to natural as she could get.  

Looking up she watched Varric, grinned for a moment before taking the remote from his hand and turning on a movie.

**

Struggling for air, Katrina kicked her assailant off her, stood, and aimed another kick at his ribs. He caught her foot and there was a sickening crack. Crying out, she put all her weight on her injured ankle and her other foot swung around catching him in the face.

He yowled angrily, dropping Katrina onto her back. Smoke was thick and she coughed, rolling onto her side, struggling to get up. Swearing angrily, she pulled a knife from her boot and threw it, hitting the bloke in the stomach. Blood blossomed and he fell backwards. Sucking in what little air was left in the place, she grabbed a chair that was not quite burned and hauled herself up, clearly favoring her left ankle. A few other bodies littered the floor, pointy objects poking out of different parts of their extremities.

A confused look appeared on Varric's face. "What the hell is a satellite." Varric shrugged and turned his attention back to the TV, flipping through the channels. "Hey I can't be flinching every time this thing turns on. Beside it does kinda interest me. I wonder how it looks." Varric was actually enjoying flipping through the channel until Kat stole the remote from him. "Hey!" said Varric. Kat turned on a movie. Varric was surprised to hear music coming from the TV now.

"Well now that's something you didn't see in the past. Heck we snuck into the castle like twice and watched concerts and that was really the only time someone would music." Varric watch the three people on the screen sing and dance around. Singing something about the amazing the morning.

---

Smoke was everywhere, Varric ripped part of shirt off and wrapped it around his head. He covered his nose and mouth. He had traveled the first floor of the house and saw that it was empty. The he hear a nose from upstair. Varric rushed up the stairs and the firs thing he saw was a body with a dagger sticking out of it. The wound looked fresh, so whoever cause it was most likely at home. Varric ran past the body, pulling the dagger from the body as she ran. He ducked his head inside each room to see if he could find someone. Then a something tackled him. Varric fought the attacker off and look at him. He recognized him from the cult. The attacker charged at him again and Varric dodge and plunged the dagger into the attack. There was one room left unchecked. Varric ran into the room and saw Kat. Varric rolled his eyes. "I can't seem to get rid of you today can't I?" said Varric. He noticed she was favoring her ankle so Varric went to pick her up and get her out of the house. "I didn't see anyone else inside." he said one they got outside.

Laughing softly, Katrina shook her head, “Never mind about the satellites, and a conversation for another day.”

She curled up into Varric’s side while watching the movie, it was one she had seen several times but it held Varric’s attention very well.

“Yeah, but now I can just flick a switch and music comes,” Katrina mused as the main characters bothered each other. Tucking her legs up underneath her, she watched as the story line progressed and before she knew it the credits where scrolling across the screen.

“What did you think?” Katrina asked, looking up at him while she leaned on his arm.

**

A small whimper escaped Katrina’s lips as Varric carried her out, pain lanced through her ankle.
“That’s because…” She started coughing due to smoke inhalation. “I got there before the assassins did. My family left.”

Sitting down on the grass, Katrina checked out her ankle. Without a doubt it was swollen, not broken but it hurt like mad. Not good.

“Thanks,” She told Varric, personally she was glad she was not cooked. Katrina tested wiggling her toes and winced. Well, she was going to be stuck for a bit.

Before Varric knew it the movie was over. He left out a yawn and blinked a few times. Kat what he thought of it. "It was good, kinda sad there were no screw ups. Those where entertaining during plays in the castle, especially Arthur's face when he got all red." Varric let out a small laugh and ran his fingers through Kat's hair. "I think I am going to like this time period."

---

Varric laid Kat out on the grass near the edge of the property. Kat spend no time relaxing and checked her ankle. She could move her toes so it wasn't broken but it still looked like it hurt like hell. "I probably don't need to tell you this but you aren't walking on that anytime soon." Varric let out a sigh, he could just leave now but he helped her this much as it was, might as well help her a bit more. "Alright, lets find your family, know which way they went?" Varric reached down and picked Kat up again, carrying her piggyback, holding onto her legs so she wouldn't fall. He was careful not to touch her ankle though. "Alright point the way." said Varric.

"I hate to say it but I told you this would happen. They don't like not getting what they want." said Varric and walking for a bit.