Varric

Varric arrived in the House with a single intention: to get his mother’s pearl back from them. He had woken one morning to find the second pearl he carried missing, his link to his mother, missing. Naturally, he panicked, thinking the snowstorm had buried it. He dug in the snow until his legs were numb from the cold.

After calming, he smelled an unfamiliar dragon. He took a moment to determine the scent, picking up a group of Plague dragons, specific breeds weren’t important to him. He had their scent, he knew where they were from. That was enough for him. He took off without a second’s thought.

He had never been on the mainland before then, finding the uncomfortable heat almost unbearable. He wanted to leave as soon as he could, having to set down his pearl multiple times to try to cool off his feet. He had never sweat before, he didn’t like it.

It took time before he finally found the House, he watched as a Ridgeback led a Pearlcatcher and a Fae into the giant doors… The Fae looking more like a pearl with wings. He tried to find a way inside, only to trip, his pearl flying from his grip and rolling before the feet of the guard outside the door.

Shouldn’t be a challenge He’d thought to himself. After all, it was just a Tundra. He hadn’t realized who that Tundra was, how well trained it was. He was overtaken easily, being dragged inside by his tail, the Tundra carrying his pearl.

He blocked out what they said. He didn’t want to hear any of it. They argued for a while, before he was dragged into a room, fairly well lit with torches, with a small roll of cloth in the corner. He could only guess that’s where he was supposed to sleep.

His pearl was rolled in beside him, the Tundra offering an apologetic smile. He turned away, he didn’t want the sympathies of the dragon who had put him in this place.

Days past. The apparent leader of the House entered the room alone. Varric would have been able to defeat him, if he weren’t near starving. The Fae had entered with a leaf-wrap, which he set in front of the Pearlcatcher.

“Eat.” He’d said, stepping back. “I’ve sent someone to get water to bring you.” He added as he flew up, catching a chain with his tail.

Varric watched him perch on the chain, before turning away and devouring the wrap. He could hear the Fae’s smile boring into his back. He breathed deeply, then turned back.

“What do you want?” He growled.
“You could offer something to us.” The Fae said, unafraid of the much larger dragon. With understanding, Varric would have been in deep trouble if he’d killed him in his own clan’s lair.

“If you get the rest of the House to trust you, to accept you, I think you could provide something we need. We need someone to keep the peace with Ice clans. Which, I believe, is where you could come in. If you want, of course. Cecillian would be quick to tell you she’ll take and destroy your pearl if you don’t take this offer.”

The Fae shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that, I would simply leave you in here, at the mercy of Crystalbreak.”

Varric, with a begrudging sigh, accepted the Fae’s offer. And, almost a year later, found himself appointed as the ‘Ambassador of Icecaps’.