There is a Pleasure in the Pathless Woods
"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express yet cannot all conceal."
From Childe Harold, Canto iv, Verse 178
-Lord Byron
"What?" Fenris uttered contemptuously, eyebrow creeping towards his hairline, arms crossed over his chest.
"It'll be an adventure!" Hawke said grinning enthusiastically.
"We are always having adventures, or haven't you noticed?" The peevish elf answered flatly. "Why don't you take Merrill? She enjoys mucking around in dirt." The eyebrow was now lost from sight, the arms were firmly crossed, seemingly for all eternity.
Relentless, Hawke soldiered on. "But she's not as good as you in a fight. Besides, she's already bringing up the rear with Varric. It's close enough to the coast that we could meet slavers. You love killing slavers. Come on! What else are you doing today?" She said as she smiled prettily at him.
Waves of cold disdain washed off Fenris towards Hawke, so much so she physically shivered despite the fire in the hearth.
"Pleeeeaase?" She quickly counted off her options on her fingers. "I don't want to hear mother going on about putting Bethany in danger, so she's out. Aveline can't make it today because of guard duty. Nobody knows where Isabela's gotten to since last night. Anders is rewriting his blasted manifesto, and you know that means he'll be reading the damn thing at me all day." She pled miserably, hoping an appeal to his pity might work better.
Fenris was pitiless however. "You deserve no less. All of this for some reagents that Solivitus asked you for? What are you getting from this?" He asked, eyebrows coming together in suspicion, knowing full well that Hawke was generous, but not this much.
"If you must know he is crafting a particular potion for me. He can't finish it without some of this herb. It's very rare and expensive, so I offered to gather it for him. He agreed to take the remaining herb as payment." Hawke answered sheepishly.
"What kind of potion is this?" The elf's curiosity getting around his disdain.
Hawke blushed and frowned. "Fine! I'll go without another swordsman! Be it on your head if we get eaten by ogres!" She burst out, throwing her hands in the air in frustration, stomping away from the immobile warrior into the gloom of his decrepit mansion.
She almost got to the door before he caught up with her, quietly walking next to her for a moment before she registered his presence.
She turned towards him, but before she could say anything, he smirked at her. "I wouldn't want to see you get eaten be ogres. Besides, I do love killing slavers."
They found Isabela by the docks, looking rough and bleary eyed. Nonetheless, once she heard they were taking a small boat towards the Wounded Coast she wouldn't stay behind.
"Sweetling, if there's one thing that will cure a hangover it's a boat ride." She slurred slightly, trying to make it sound sexy, but not quite getting there. Merrill quickly went to the pirate's side and offered assistance.
Varric grinned to himself as he scanned the dock for their contact. A few minutes later the party found themselves talking to a curiously fish-like fellow who was taking some of Varric's money and showing them where to sit in his shabby boat.
Isabela looked around with disdain, the little vessel clearly not passing her inspection. Merrill gingerly climbed in and looked excited as she sat next to Isabela. Hawke boarded, followed by a stoic Fenris. Varric looked at the boat and his companions and gave an elaborate bow.
"Alright Hawke, you have Innsmouth's boat for the day. Make good use of it. I'll catch you all at the Hanged Man." he grinned as he started to turn around.
"Aren't you coming along Varric?" Merrill cried out, sounding a bit forlorn.
He turned and gave Merrill a conspiratorial wink. "Oh Daisy, don't be sad. It's just that dwarves aren't really built for the sea. Now that you have the Rivaini, you don't really need my skill set." he said looking remarkably sincere, which was how they all knew he was lying.
"Anyhow, I'll be happy to lend a hand if needed. You know where to find me!" he said flippantly as he walked away from them.
"Well that's a fine how-do-you-do" Isabela muttered from her spot, her mind already turning possibilities for getting Varric back for his abandonment. Several options made her grin wolfishly to her companions' discomfort. The two rogues shared an almost fraternal relationship, but laced with liquor, gossip, gambling and a little bit of sex on the side. It was best understood only by themselves.
Meanwhile the fisherman, Innsmouth was casting off. His boat reeked of fish which was nearly overpowering to Hawke. She scanned her friends' faces and saw she wasn't alone in her distaste. Merrill seemed slightly green, Isabela's fine nostrils were flared in distaste and Fenris…well, his lyrium was actually flaring slightly. His face was a patrician picture of distaste.
He caught her gaze and grimaced. "I hate fish. I'm going to flay that damned dwarf for this." He growled.
"Not me for dragging you into this?" Hawke asked half-jokingly.
"You'll just have to see what I have in store for you." He said with a scowl.
There was little talk between the companions. The smell of fish was so strong that they could actually swear they could taste it when they opened their mouths. The fisherman seemed completely immune to his vessel's stench and his passengers' distaste. The man had no more expression in his face than the fish he caught.
They simply rode along in the despicable boat for a few hours in silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they sailed towards the Wounded Coast.
It was Merrill that broke the silence eventually. "Why don't we usually take a boat to the Wounded Coast? It's much faster than walking. Not that I mind walking. I enjoy it tremendously. I walk all over the city every day. True, mostly because I still get lost, but I enjoy so many of the places I find. For example the Viscount's garden is beautiful…"
Isabela was squinting into the distance and stood up suddenly startling everyone. "This is why Kitten; pirates off the bow!"
All of them turned towards where Isabela was pointing and saw a dark speck on the horizon.
"Are you sure Bela?" Hawke asked.
"Aye. I wouldn't be much of a pirate queen if I couldn't tell when trouble lurked on the seas. They've spotted us and are heading this way. Make ready." Isabela said, pulling her daggers.
Hawke and Fenris pulled out their massive weapons, but Isabela put a hand on Hawke's arm and shook her head.
'You two had better put those anchors away. On a tiny boat like this you go over with that and you'll be sunk before you think to let go. Here, put those in this trunk." Isabela said opening a handy box she had been sitting on.
Fenris and Hawke looked at each other dubiously. Both were loathe to part with their weapons.
"Go on! If this wasn't an overgrown bucket I'd tell you to keep them, but she's too small and unsteady. If I was coming at her I would start by capsizing her to get rid of her crew, not that I would waste my time with a piddly little thing like this." She said with a curl to her lip.
"So I'm supposed to punch them to death?" Hawke asked, unhappy with the current situation.
"I could do that." Fenris said flatly.
"Yes, well, we're not all living weapons, are we?" Hawke said with a crooked grin.
"What would be the fun in that?" He responded in her ear, sending an involuntary shiver down her back. Damn his voice!
"Take one of mine Hawke." Isabela said handing one of her long daggers. "No more flirting without me, you two." She said with a wink.
Hawke blushed furiously and prayed that Fenris wouldn't notice. Damn Isabela's indiscreet nature!
She had finally admitted to herself that she had a serious crush on the elf. However, she was at a loss about what to do about it. She had never been good at flirting as a young girl in Lotherin and then after the war…well, she hadn't really had the chance to perfect her technique. And it wasn't like Fenris was the easiest person to approach. Conversations with him were like walking a trap-ridden floor. Living in constant danger was also not very conducive to romance. She had no idea how he felt and the suspense was excruciating. Some days she thought he was interested, other days she thought he could care less about her.
And here they were, facing danger again. Oh well, it was only a matter of time. Hawke resigned herself and hefted Isabela's dagger.
