"You have too much faith in Varric. He'd keep you all from spilling blood, certainly, but he's not above goading people." She smiled. "He's not one to be underestimated."

Hawke rolled her eyes, taking her position at the front of the skiff again to make certain they weren't going to scrape up against anything. "It is. I was lucky that my mother fielded most of the people wanting to see me simply because I had status. Now, it's a little more difficult. Why do you think I'm never home?" she said with a sly wink. It wasn't the real reason but it was enough of one to keep the conversation out of darker implications.

"I'm certain you did," she replied, tone sobered. "It was...a shame." The word barely scratched the surface but it was enough. If she started to think about all of the losses they suffered, she'd have to think about Carver too, and she didn't want to. Hawke lifted her head and paused, casting her gaze just off of the skiff. "Careful on the right side. It's hard to tell if those are rocks or not," she said.