Chapter Text
The new neighbors arrived early that Sunday. Charlotte had stayed home to be a friendly face of welcome, and also to get a feel for them before the rest of her family returned. Last thing she needed was for the new family to be quiet and reserved, and have her wild family go in unchecked.
Two men stepped out of the small moving van, both laughing with relief at being at their destination. The shorter man - a dwarf on closer inspection - went around the back to pull a child out of a car seat. Her legs were running before she hit the ground, and she took off like a bolt to the old tree that sat between their properties. By the time Charlotte had made her way over, the girl was scurrying her way up the old oak, shouting for her father’s (or fathers’, who was she to judge?) attention.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t die!” The dwarf laughed as put a hand on the branch she stood on, “I’ve spent too much money on you to have you fall out of a tree.”
The dark-haired man looked up to the tree, “Enasal, tell him that was rude!”
“ That was rude!” Came laughter from the tree.
“Tell him, ‘not nice!’ you are worth all of that money!”
The phrase, “not nice” was clear, but the rest of the phrase was garbled. She was young, talking for the most part but not easily understood. Charlotte watched her climb for a few seconds. She was tiny, but her coordination was threes, early or maybe middle.
And boy, could she climb. About four feet off the ground at this point, the shorter man plucked her off the limb and sat her back down on it, “That’s high enough - this isn’t the Hightown Gardens.”
Tin of cookies in hand, Charlotte called out, “Welcome home!”
The taller man waved and thrust out his hand, “Not my home, just helping with the move.”
The dwarf offered his own hand, “Varric Tethras - the little demon hanging from the tree is Enasal.”
The girl had eased her way onto her feet, squatting on the branch, “Catch me!”
Varric cursed as he grabbed at her, nearly missing as she sprung off the branch.
“Hey!” The other man snapped, “You be careful with my baby!”
“Yeah.” The girl poked her father’s forehead, “Careful.”
“Your baby?” He jerked his head to the man, “This is, Garett.”
Charlotte smiled, “It’s great to me y'all. I’m Charlotte Rutherford, I live just down the way.”
Varric looked up and down the road at the only house visible, “Hope I can find you in this sea of roofs.” He looked up, “Always forget how big that sky is.”
“Blue!”
“That’s right. Blue.”
There was no indication of baby-talk, no upping the pitch of his voice. But the praise was obviously well received, as the girl clapped and wiggled to be put down. Underneath a tangled mess of curls, she noticed the pointed tips of her ears.
That would explain her size - she was an elf.
In a streak of motion, she was up the stairs and by the door, pointing at it, “My room?”
Varric laughed, “Alright, alright.” He turned back to Charlotte, “You’re welcome to come in. We already had most everything delivered but I’m sure it’s a warzone in there.”
“It won’t bother me a bit.” She laughed, “I have three kids and a husband, I’ve seen warzones.”
“And I promise, my girl speaks in complete sentences. Sometimes when she doesn’t know someone she goes a little backwards.”
“Don't worry.” Charlotte assured, “That’s completely normal.”
Garret had taken the keys from Varric and scooped up the girl, shouting how they needed to hurry and throwing the door open.
“Wild little thing, isn’t she?” Charlotte asked.
Varric barked out a laugh, “That’s an understatement. You said you had kids?”
Charlotte nodded, “Three. They’re all at the Chantry with their father, but I played hooky today - thought it’d be nice if you had a friendly face to welcome you.”
"Good to know.”
The house was indeed littered with boxes. Furniture was arranged in scattered groups, obviously shoved into the rooms at random.
Varric looked around and shrugged “Well, at least it looks likes it’s all on the right floor any-”
From upstairs there was a crash.
“Dammit,” Varric muttered before calling out, “ Garret! What are you two doing?”
“We broke nothing!” The man called down.
“Nothing!” Enasal echoed.
Varric sighed and started up the stairs, “What’d you two break?”
Charlotte followed him to a room at the end of the hall, where a bashful Enasal and Garret stood by a broken mirror.
Garret held his hands up, “In her defense - I probably should have discouraged her from pulling it out herself.”
“Damn right you should have.” Varric sighed and shook his head, “You alright, Apple? Did you get cut?”
She shook her head, showing him her hands.
“Good, don’t touch it.” He tilted his head as he looked at his friends, “I swear, Chuckles, you break my kid-”
“You’ll break my face.”
Varric looked back at Charlotte, jerking his thumb back at the duo, “I blame him for all her troublemaking ways.”
“Okay, just for the record I didn’t fully think that teaching her to open child-proof cabinets would be that bad in the long run.”
Varric let his arms fall to his sides and turned back to Charlotte, “You see this? This is why we’re leaving Kirkwall.”
“The crime?” Garret asked,
“The viscount.” Varric countered.
Garret grinned.
Charlotte laughed, letting herself in the room and sitting on the floor with Enasal, “My goodness, do you have dragons in your room?”
Enasal nodded, chattering as she looked from box to box, finally pulling out a blue bedspread, emblazoned with a bright red dragon.
“Yep.” Varric said, “That’s her. Dresses, dragons, dolls, and trains. Bringing down the patriarchy one maligned interest at a time.”
Charlotte sat patiently, talking with the other two men while Enasla brought her random objects from her room, proudly showing off. A stuffed nug whose nose had been worn down to a nub, a large box of crayons, and a few books were shown off before Varric suggested that she leave the nice neighbor alone.
But the woman laughed and waved them off, “She is fine. In fact, I’d be more than happy to watch her up here while you boys get some more work done. Keep her out of trouble and get her room ready all at the same time.”
Varric seemed hesitant, but Garret threw an arm around his shoulder, “Sounds great! What’d you say to Mrs. Rutherford, Enasal?”
“Thank you, Mrs…” She paused and her brow wrinkled, “W...Rudder… Ruther…”
“Rutherford.” Charlotte said slowly.
“Ruutheer...ford.”
She laughed, “Close enough.”
A little after noon the noise of an old truck rumbled in the distance, finally coming to a stop nearby and sputtering to a stop. Ever curious, Eansal dropped her nug and ran to the window, chattering and pointing.
“That’s my family.” Charlotte said, “If it’s alright with your daddy, we can go say hello.”
Enasal tore out of the room, tottering down the stairs as fast as her small legs could manage.
“Varric!” She called, “Varric - dad! Dad!”
He heaved the couch a final inch before chuckling, “I heard you the first time, what’d you need?”
“Friends!” She chirped, pointing at the front door and bouncing up and down.”
“Friends, eh?”
Charlotte nodded, “My family just got home. Would you like to meet them?”
“Love to.” Garret interjected.”
Varric rolled his eyes, “A break would be nice. Come on, Apple.”
She grabbed her father’s hand, pulling him out of the house and across the lawn before coming to a sudden stop.
“Where are your shoes?” He asked.
She suddenly took a step back, going behind her father.
“What are you doing?” He asked, trying to get a good look at her, “Since when are you shy?”
Charlotte waved him away, “She’s fine, sometimes kids her age have a little stranger danger.”
She kneeled down, “I think my children went to change out of their Chantry clothes so they can go play, but here comes my husband, his name is Mr. Rutherford.” She looked up at Varric with a grin, “Stan.”
The man, broad-shouldered and curly-haired, greeted Varric with a handshake and a grin. “New neighbors! Good to finally meet you.”
“You too, Stan you said? Name’s Varric. The idiot behind me is Garret, and the one hiding is Enasal.”
Crouching down, the man looked at her as she hid. “Enasal, eh? Well I think it’ll be good for you to know I got a little boy just about your age. His name is Bran - you can come play anytime.”
Enasal emerged slightly, waving with her fingers.
Varric frowned, “I promise, I usually have to remind her not to talk to strangers.”
Stan shrugged, “How’s moving goin’? You need any help, let me know, Charlotte won’t mind watching the little ones.”
Three children poured out of the house, hollering and shouting. Stan stood up, “Kids! Come meet the new neighbors.”
The girl’s eyes lit up and she squealed, “She’s so little!” Before barreling towards her, sliding the last few inches on her knees and clapping her hands, “Hi! I’m Mia - we’re going to be good friends!”
Enasal grinned, waving and chirping out, “Hi!”
The youngest boy was next, happily greeting with an immediate and unrestrained hug, “Mama! My new friend’s here!”
“I told you she was coming.” Charlotte said, looking at the last child, who stood close to the porch stairs, nervously shifting his weight as he stole glances at the barn.
Stan chuckled, “Boy’s worried about the animals.” He waved him over, “Come on, boy, they can wait just long enough for you to come to your greetings.”
When he still hesitated, Charlotte spoke up, “Cullen, be polite and come say hello.”
The boy heaved a sigh and ran towards them, “Hello.”
Stan put a hand on the top of his head, “This is Mr. Tethras and his daughter Enasal.”
He glanced back and forth, still shifting his weight, “Afternoon, Mr. Tethras and Enasal.” He then looked up at his father, “I have to give the sheep their medicine!”
Stan laughed, “Alright boy, go on, now.”
He seemed more than happy to oblige, running back to the barn.
Charlotte frowned, “Stan, go with him - I don’t want him handling that stuff on his own.” She turned back to Varric, “We raise sheep for their wool, and a few of them’s got a little something going on. We treat each head just fine.”
Enasal stood on her toes, “Any babies?”
Charlotte laughed “No, no babies - all the babies are grown up now. If it’s alright with your daddy we can go see them.”
She looked back at Varric.
“That’s fine with me.”
The other two children had already disappeared into one of the fields, so Enasal took Charlotte's hand as she led her into the barn. A few sheep were inside, seemingly segregated from the herd that grazed outside. The boy they had seen earlier was holding onto some sort of bottle, which one sheep was drinking out of with gusto - enough to make the young boy have to brace his whole body to withstand. His father had a bottle in each hand, sitting by the pens as he lazily administered the medicine.
“Watch him.” Charlotte fretted.
“He’s fine. ” Stan said.
“I’m fine!” The boy echoed. He noticed the new neighbors and frowned. Distracted, the sheep’s next lurch forward sent him onto the barn floor.
“You good, boy?” His father asked, trying not to laugh.
Charlotte was much more concerned, lifting him up and back onto his feet, dusting him off and fretting.
“He’s fine.” Stan couldn’t stop the laugh.
Cullen nodded, “I’m fine!”
Charlotte sighed and gestured to the two, “I created a clone.”
“Oh good.” Garret said, wiping invisible sweat off his brow, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I thought I was seeing a whole new kind of double.”
“Hi!” Enasal chirped
“Hello again, little bit.” Stan chuckled.
Cullen was too engrossed in administering the medication to answer.
Enasal was enraptured with the sheep, chattering on about a sheep in one of her books. Charlotte lifted her so she could pet one of the sheep’s back.
“Told you she wasn’t shy.”
Charlotte offered to feed the new neighbors on their first night in the new neighborhood. They pulled some extra chairs around the table, propping Enasal up on a few encyclopedias so she could reach the table. Mia had taken full responsibility of her, happy to have another girl to play with. She helped cut up her food as her mother watched on, encouraged her to use her napkin, and applauding her overall good eating skills. She was already begging for Enasal to sleep over, but her mother explained - multiple times - that Enasal was much too young for slumber parties with new friends.
“If you ever need any help with her.” Charlotte assure when the new family said their goodbye and Enasal was passed out in her father’s arms, “You let me know, okay?”
He chuckled,” Yeah, got it. Thanks for your hospitality.”
“And if you ever need a babysitter, just throw her in the mob.”
He laughed and Garrett waved, “Thanks, We’ll keep that in mind.”
Varric shook his head “Chuckles, you're here until tomorrow, There’s no ‘we’.” He slowed to a stop, eyes catching the sky. “Well. Would you look at that.”
Garret whistled, “Damn look at that sky.”
Charlotte looked up and smiled, ‘Ah. Bet you don’t see skies like that in the city do yu?”
At times it seems more stars than sky, dotted with hazy wisps of clouds.
“Apple.” Varric said, shaking her, “Apple, wake up.”
Her first reaction was to fuss at the sudden pull into consciousness, but the whining came to an abrupt halt when she followed her father’s finger to the sky. She was quiet, staring up at the sky and blinking.
“I think she likes it.” Garret chuckled.
Enasal wiggled to be put down and immediately plopped down in the grass, her eyes never leaving the star-studded sky.
Mia was quick lay down beside her, telling her about the different constellations.
From the porch, Cullen whispered something to her father. Stan laughed and ruffled his eldest son’s hair, “There ain’t nothing wrong with her, boy! She’s just from the city - too many lights to see the stars too well. You’d probably be just as slack-jawed seein’ all the city lights.
“I don’t like the city.” The boy stubbornly said.
“Boy, you ain’t never been to the city.” He stopped at that, “Maybe you can come along next time I go - need to get some parts,”
Suddenly, Cullen was very interested in the city.
Meanwhile, Enasal continued to stare up at the sky, eyes fluttering shut, closing for longer and longer periods until she finally fell asleep.