"She will submit to the Qun and the Ben-Hassrath," the Arishok stated to Hawke. "More than that I will not say."
"Take her and go," he replied.
Clawed hands grasped at her arms on either side and Isabela struggled for freedom. Anger fueled her hatred for the man that stood before her. Not the horned one, she had already hated him for destroying her ship. But him, her so called friend, that turned around and stabbed her in the back after she had returned to help him and this miserable city. The Qunari were closing in around her and she was trapped; nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no access to the flasks and potions that could assist her on her belt.
They dragged her through the hall of Viscount's Keep. The smug looks on the nobles faces as they watched what they considered trash being taken out made her want to spit. Her friends, or rather those she thought were her friends, standing in the distance and doing nothing to assist her made her want to scream. Bruises would certainly form on her arms where they held her as she continued to pull while being forced down the stairs and into the main courtyard of Hightown.
"Stop," came the baritone voice behind her entourage of guards. "If she is to be re-educated, it is to begin here," the Arishok stated. "Strip her."
The two that held her arms continued to do so as a third held her head from behind. Two more came forward and began the removal. Her daggers were taken, followed by her earrings and the large neckpiece she wore. Next came the bandana, several lockpicks dislodging as another clawed hand raked through her hair. Armguards were unbuckled and dropped to the floor, gloves removed and tossed aside. Her belt, corset, and white shirt were discarded as well. Hidden knives clinked as they hit stone. One by one the boots were removed, more weapons found and abandoned, until she was left with only her undergarments.
The Arishok circled her, eyeing her near naked form. "Like what you see?" she taunted.
"No," came his simple reply, followed with another order. "Continue."
"What?" her eyes widened. "Come on, you can't prance me around naked in front of all your men. Not that I mind, but do you really want that kind of distraction?"
The Arishok did not hesitate in his response. "They do not lack discipline, and are not distracted by bas," he informed her. "Let humility be your first lesson."
Isabela rolled her eyes at the large dominating figure before her. "Then that's an easy one." She stood up as straight as she could while still being restrained and the rest of her clothing was torn from her body. Those that had held her no longer needed to drag her as she walked proudly through Hightown, Lowtown, and the docks.
Anyone that was left in the streets from the battle didn't bother to stare, as they all ran when they saw the Arishok and his army walking through. They claimed the largest ship they could find and boarded, removing any humans that remained to man the ship themselves. Isabela was thrown to the wooden deck, her hands tied securely to the rail, and they set sail away from Kirkwall.
..ooO~Oo..oO~Oo..oO~Ooo..
Isabela had no trouble sleeping through most of the night. If the Arishok had thought that having her sleep naked on deck was humiliating, he obviously didn't know her well enough. She had been in rougher conditions, and the deck of a ship was more like home to her than anywhere else. The caw of seabirds overhead meant they were near land, and Isabela contorted her body until she could study the horizon between the rails. In the distance, a few miles out, she saw land. Only islands would be in her view on the eastern side of the vessel, and she knew by their speed and the current wind that they had to have been long past Brandel's Reach. That meant Estwatch, and if she held out a little longer, they'd take her right where she wanted to go. One more day and they should pass Rivain on the way to Par Vollen, though she had no intention of completing the journey with them.
Though they were not on a Qunari dreadnought, they ran it like one. Each horned beast was working with military precision seeing to the tasks required to keep a ship of this size moving at this speed. She could hear the steady rhythm of oars pushing through the sea below her, and watched the occasional adjustments of the sails. She had longed to feel the ocean air on her face again, but under much different circumstances.
Isabela returned to her unnatural position as bare feet thumping against the deck approached her. Two of their Kossith held her arms while another undid her bindings. They brought her to her feet, wrapped a black cloak around her, and pushed her forward towards the center of the deck. "We going somewhere?" she asked one of them.
"The Arishok wishes to speak with you," he replied without looking at her.
"Must be my lucky day," Isabela stated as they maneuvered down the stairs into the hull of the ship.
It came as no surprise to her that the Arishok was set up in the captain's cabin. What did come to a shock was the spread of food on the desk as well as their precious Tome of Koslun, unsecured atop a chest in the corner. They would slaughter half of Kirkwall for this dusty old relic and here it is tossed aside with some rags and oils? Isabela was furious but kept a calm composure as she was forced to sit in a chair opposite the Arishok.
"Leave us," he demanded of his lessers, and the two that had escorted Isabela swiftly left them alone.
His rather large hand gestured over the food. "Eat," he ordered her as he grabbed three salmon from a large platter and dropped them on his plate. She watched as he took a large bite out of the fish, nearly tearing it in half, and cringed as she was subjected to the sounds of his chewing.
Scales and fish bones not really her first choice, Isabela reached for some fruit instead. She lifted her long naked legs and rested them on the table, until a strong fist hitting the wood, sending food in various directions, convinced her that was a bad idea. Slowly she corrected her posture and then stared intently at her captor. "Why am I here?" she finally asked him.
The Arishok finished consuming his second fish before answering her. "We have all been denied Par Vollen because of your involvement," he began. "The relic has been reclaimed, and you will answer for your crimes."
"Yes, I got all that back in the city," Isabela stated. "Tell me something I don't know."
He gripped the table as he pushed back his chair and stood. Circling the table, he turned towards the wood burning stove and retrieved a large iron rod. Gripping the end with his gloved hand, he placed one end of the rod into the flames. "The Arigena is the leader of the craftsmen of our people, one of the female roles within the Qun. If you are lucky enough to survive the conversion, it is she you will serve." The Arishok continued to hold the branding iron within the fire as he spoke, the heat of it singing his leather glove. "I offer you a courtesy human; your tongue will be the first thing she removes should you continue to speak to elders in this manner."
Isabela shifted a bit uncomfortably at the imagery but remained stoic. "Duly noted," she replied.
He removed what appeared to be a large pouch made of skin from a drying rack above the stove and draped it over his forearm. Retrieving the rod from the stove as well, nearly half of it red hot with a soft orange glow, the Arishok walked passed Isabela to the chest she had noticed the tome on earlier. While his back was facing her, Isabela ran through several scenarios in her head on how to attack him and escape, but something told her that patience would be her reward. Stick with the original plan and wait until they were closer to Rivain. Running naked through The Weyrs below Antiva was not a desirable option.
"Ugh, what is that smell," she scoffed as she covered her nose with the corner of her cape. Accompanied by the sizzle and crack the iron rod was making, Isabela was suddenly feeling very uneasy.
"I am sealing the tome within the stomach of a boar," the Arishok advised her. "It will prevent further damage than what it has already undergone within your care."
Isabela tried to see what he was doing but his actions were well hidden behind his girth. "That fleshy looking thing is supposed to protect a book?"
He turned abruptly. "That 'book' as you insist on referring to it as is the Tome of Koslun. You will show some respect human, or I shall force it out of you."
She raised her hands up. "Alright, I'm sorry," Isabela said with mock sincerity as he returned to his work. "This stomach of yours will fight off this humidity? Maker, I swear it gets hotter the further north we go," she said as she fanned herself with her hand.
"Yes. You will learn this and other necessary trades under the guide of the Arigena." He dropped the rod back in the fire and returned to his seat at the table.
Isabela stole a glance at the tome now completely sealed within the pouch. All four of its edges were singed, smoke still rising from the intense heat. She doubted his claim that the book was completely safe, but it was something to ponder later on. "What happens to me if I do not fit in with your conversion process?" she asked the Arishok.
He bit the head off a herring and swallowed it whole before answering her. "You die."
..ooO~Oo..oO~Oo..oO~Ooo..
After being forced to listen to the Arishok drone on most of the day about training and protocol and "the way of the Qun," Isabela couldn't wait to get off the ship. Night had fallen but the full moon was bright enough for her to make her way to land. A small matter of escape, and the additional glory of stealing the tome again, and Isabela could be sipping wine amongst friends by tomorrow night.
Her first obstacle was freeing her hands from their bindings. Having been in worse situations than this, that didn't take her long. The war paint from her struggles the previous day still remained on her arms and Isabela used her chin to spread the substance to her wrists. A few twists caused the underside of the rope to become slippery, and she wriggled her hands free. Rope burn was a small price to pay for freedom, and she smiled inwardly as step one was complete.
On deck this late there were two Kossith to deal with; the one steering the ship from directly above the entrance to the hull, and the other that paced back and forth on deck. She would need to subdue both as quietly as possible in order to complete the second part of her task. For a brief moment she turned towards the rail and considered jumping now, while the wandering guard was on the port side. That would mean forgetting the book, though it would secure her her freedom. But the arrogance of the Arishok leaving the tome in plain sight was a challenge she just couldn't let go.
Isabela kept the rope pulled firmly against her wrists so when the guard came towards her it appeared she was still bound. She tried her first tactic, the one that usually worked on anyone, and shifted her chest so her breasts protruded from the cloak she still wore. When the ox-man was within ear shot, Isabela turned on the charm. "I notice there aren't any females in your company," she purred in her most provocative voice. "I wouldn't mind a little fun before we reached your homeland."
The horned beast stopped in front of her, as if considering her offer. Isabela began to think this was too easy until she felt the spray of the man's spit on her leg. "Human filth," he replied as he set to walking again, adjusting the war axe on his back.
Okay, plan B she thought as she mentally traced his routine. One pass, then two, and on the third she sprung into action. The moment he was just within arms reach, she pulled her hands away from the rail and jumped on his back, using the rope to strangle him. The Kossith swung his body back and forth to try and pry her off while his clawed hands grasped at his neck. Isabela wrapped her legs around him for better leverage, pulling harder on the rope as the blades of his weapon dug into her flesh. In a matter of seconds his silver skin began to change color as he struggled to breath, and eventually his lifeless body fell to the wooden deck.
Isabela wasted no time leaping off the beast, took his weapon, and stealthed through the blind spot of the other Qunari. A few quick steps behind him and she swung the mighty blade towards his head. The sharp blade matched with the strength of her momentum tore through flesh and bone, and his head flew in the air and over the side of the vessel. No splash would be heard over the constant drum of the oars below, and she mentally patted herself on the back for completing step two.
Quietly she placed the blade on the fallen headless body and began her descent to the belly of the ship. The moonlight didn't reach below, which was fine with her. The shadows were home to her, and her nakedness only added to the ease in which she moved through the small corridor to the Arishoks room. Under the door she could see the small light of fire still burning in the stove, and for a moment she froze thinking she heard movement. But it was only the crackle of flame mixed with a droning snore, and she checked to see if the cabin was locked.
The door moved slightly under her touch and she knew it was open. Quickly she wiped off more war paint and rubbed it on the hinges to prevent any unwelcome squeak and then she pushed the door open just enough for her to slide through. The Arishok lay in his bed, rolled onto his side, back facing her. The tome was still snug in its pouch on top of the chest and Isabela scowled once again at his arrogance. Just a few steps in, grab the book, back up the stairs, and freedom awaited.
For a brief second she reconsidered, hearing Fenris' voice in her head. The tome of Koslun. The founder of their religion, the most revered being in their history. That text is sacred beyond measure. And valuable, which is why she stole it in the first place. What did she care if it actually meant something to the horned beasts? They were ready to convert her, or worse kill her. If anything, reclaiming the book would prevent them from trying to kill her again until they knew of its whereabouts. She'd be hunted either way she figured, so she pressed forward with her plan.
One, two, three tiptoed footsteps in, then she froze as the Arishok adjusted his position. On his back now, she waited until the rise and fall of his chest became even again. Four, five, six and she was within reach. Carefully she lifted the pouch and clutched it to her breast, and then held her breath as she moved the six paces out of the room. A brief moment to release a sigh of relief, and then she hurried up the stairs.
Isabela was nearly free. A few steps towards the stern of the vessel, several glances over her shoulder, and all she had to do was jump overboard. She secured the cloak around her neck, tucked the book under her left arm, and pulled herself on to the rail. One leap of faith, straightening her body in midair as best she could to avoid a loud splash, and she landed in the water. Quickly she swam with one arm towards the ship to hide in its shadow, looking up for several minutes until she was certain no one had noticed her escape. The moons reflection on the water nearly labeled her path to shore, and the pirate began her journey home.