A/N Even after dozens of play-throughs, I still discover new party combinations that bring up dialogs I've never heard before, or only heard once or twice. This story comes from one such conversation. I still can't believe how calmly Morrigan reacted in-game. I think there should have been ... repercussions.
To Market, to Market
"Maker give me strength," Siobhan growled under her breath. Even though the dress she was wearing as part of her disguise was not all that different from her normal Circle robes, it was made from decidedly inferior cloth, and it itched abominably. "Did they even card the wool before they spun it?" she wondered irritably, trying not to be obvious as she snaked her hand up the side of her skirt to scratch a particularly bad itch on her thigh.
She sighed in relief as the irritation was soothed for the moment, grinning guiltily as she imagined what Zevran might have insinuated, had he been along. The grin widened as she pictured how swift and quelling Alistair's reaction to Zevran's noticing would have been.
"Oh, I wonder if they sell silk ribbons here? I've been wanting to decorate my boots," Leliana chirped brightly, jingling her purse. Siobhan scowled.
Yes, it had been agreed that Alistair should stay at camp, since his face was vaguely familiar to some of the locals. And, yes, it had been agreed that three peasant girls and a dog, even if it was a mabari, would be less noticeable than an armored party (it had almost been four peasant girls, but Zevran had pointed out that there were Crows in Denerim, and none of them would be fooled by his wearing a dress). But Siobhan wished, again, that her idea of an unemployed group of mercenaries had been accepted. However, Leliana had claimed knowledge of the city from prior visits, so the "gawking bumpkins" route had been voted most logical.
Now here they were, in a back alley of Denerim's market area, and although nobody was obviously watching them, the skin between her shoulder blades itched with more than sweat and wool.
"Leli," she hissed in exasperation. "The Wonders of Thedas is NOT a millinery shop, nor are we trying to paint ourselves so thoroughly as targets to potential thieves. I'd rather not draw quite so much attention, if you don't mind."
"Agreed," Morrigan snapped in a frosty voice. "Although that oaf of a knight was easy enough to deal with peaceably, I doubt brigands will be as quickly taken in by a pretty face and a vapid giggle. Let us purchase our necessary supplies and leave this ... this festering rat trap." She was obviously uncomfortable the city, as there were far too many people about for one raised in the solitude of the Wilds to tolerate. Being loomed over by tall buildings on every side just increased her anxiety.
Siobhan wasn't enjoying this excursion much, either. True, she had been used to high walls and confined spaces in Kinloch, but there every individual had been a known quantity: ally, friend, threat or neutral. Here, there was absolutely no way of knowing for sure, and she hated it. She agreed with Morrigan, for once. The sooner they were out of Denerim, the better she'd feel.
Oh, Maker. Now Leliana was pouting. "Look, Leliana, I'm sure that Orlesian woman in the main square probably has ribbons, and she might be able to point you to somebody else who might carry the - ah - items you and Zevran need. How about you take Payback with you, and we'll meet for lunch and eavesdropping at the Gnawed Noble. Please? I'm sure the owners here don't want a war hound scaring the customers."
"Very well," the bard sighed, and turned back towards the main thoroughfare, patting her thigh as she left. "Come, Payback, I've been meaning to ask you more about your part in the battle at Ostagar." The dog whined quizzically, looking at Siobhan with big eyes, but she merely shook her head sternly and pointed after Leliana. "Guard her," she mouthed. With a rebellious woof, the mabari turned and followed the redhead, ears drooping.
# # #
Always so stubborn and dour, Leliana thought sadly as she passed into the sunshine of the main market square. Here we are, a lovely sunny day, no stench of wet dog - well not much - she amended, looking sidelong at the mabari, and money to spend. She really needs to learn to loosen up and enjoy such things before she loses the chance.
Siobhan gave a sigh of relief when the solid door of the shop closed behind her. The comforting scents of dried elfroot and various other herbal concoctions soothed her further. With a shake of her head, she straightened her shoulders and strode forward, eyes darting back and forth in delight. Wonders, indeed, she noted, drawing in a deep breath as she saw the racked staves along one wall. No, we couldn't possibly afford any of these, she chastised herself, even as she reached to run her fingers across them, feeling the various powers banked within them.
The first one had an intricately carved top made to look like leaves and feathers, which then shifted to vines twining and spiraling down the haft. The wood was a dark, glossy brown with streaks of greenish veining. Undoubtedly, it was imbued with the essence of natural might. Another was simple, with a sinuous scalloped shape at the top cupping a large amber crystal. The wood was all colors of brown, yellow and orange, with red veining - and it exuded a comforting warmth.
Then her eye fell on one that was tucked in the corner of the rack, shoved in behind the others. Although it had no adornment whatsoever - indeed, it could have been a simple walking staff made from a regular peeled and cured pine branch - it drew her quite strongly. Right where the palm would normally grip the shaft, there was a socket for a rune stone. That was highly unusual - normally any extra enhancements were already put into the shaft by one of the Formari. Perhaps this one had been an apprentice's project - sold before it could be finished - or after they failed their Harrowing, she thought with a shiver. She wavered, tempted. This one would probably be within her means, with plenty left over for the other critically depleted supplies and raw components that she and Morrigan needed.
Her current staff was useful enough, but it was marked with the blazon of Kinloch, and too many people had already heard about the disaster of the Circle there. As dicey as it would be to simply be recognized as a mage in certain quarters, being seen as a Kinloch mage would be even worse. And just imagine what an enchantment Sandal could create with the right rune! Decisively, her hand closed around the shaft.
"Well, now," Morrigan purred, coming up beside her and staring appraisingly at the staff. "Could it be you've found something long and hard and of more use to you than a former templar?" Her golden eyes glittered as she smirked.
Siobhan stared at the older woman, blushing furiously. Then, as she thought of how Zevran might handle such a sexual innuendo, she smiled sweetly. "Well, I grant you it is longer; but it's barely as hard, and I can't close my hand fully around Alistair's ... staff... at all. However, I'm sure I'll find a use for it, or maybe I'll let you have it. I'd recommend you check it for splinters, first, though."
Morrigan stared at her, pale except for two spots of color on her cheeks. She narrowed her eyes, then spun abruptly on her heel, the long tassets of her leather skirt flaring, and stalked toward the door. Rather pointedly, she shut it carefully behind her, but she might as well have slammed it shut.
Exhaling in relief, Siobhan turned to the Tranquil behind the counter and started ordering the rest of their supplies, planning on asking for a discount on the staff when she was finished. Ah, well, I guess now Morrigan knows that hers is not the only sharp tongue in Thedas.
# # #
Morrigan stood outside in the sunlight, staring at the sky and seething. Stupid girl, wasting time and effort on sex and love, never realizing how fleeting both would be - how useless when it came down to the final battle.
The two mages pointedly avoided speaking about the incident as they headed toward the Gnawed Noble, but several people shivered and rubbed their arms without realizing it as they walked past. When Leliana's cheerful greeting broke the silence between them, the increased tension made the air around them even cooler.
"I've found some!" Leliana crowed in triumph. "Three sets, different colors, for the three of us... I'm sure Wynne would just consider them frippery, which is why I didn't get her any, but the colors are so lovely.
Siobhan fixed a smile on her face, patted Payback - who had rushed back to her side with an aggrieved growl - and suggested, "It's getting late. Maybe we should skip the tavern and head back to camp instead."
Morrigan just sniffed and nodded, once. Leliana was too happy with her purchases to disagree, so they headed towards the gate that led to the North Road.
Siobhan was almost to the gate when she heard Leliana trying to engage Morrigan in conversation. She didn't look back, but strained her ears to catch every nuance. She was sure it would be entertaining. She noticed that Payback's ears had swiveled backwards. The dog was curious, too.
"You are very beautiful, Morrigan."
The witch snorted. "Tell me something I do not know."
Undeterred, Leliana continued. "But you always dress in such rags. It suits you, I suppose: a little tear here, a little rip there to show some skin. I understand." Siobhan's ears were burning, just waiting for the explosion, given all the other irritations of the day.
Indeed, Morrigan's voice, when she responded, was practically dripping with contempt. "You understand I lived in a forest, I hope?" Her tone implied that Leliana was beyond understanding much of anything.
Apparently, Leliana hadn't even really been expecting a reply, because she continued as if Morrigan hadn't even spoken. "Maybe we could get you in a nice dress one day. Silk. No, maybe velvet. Velvet is heavier - better to guard against the cold in Ferelden. Dark red velvet, yes. With gold embroidery. It should be cut low in the front, of course. We don't want to hide your features."
For once, Morrigan seemed shocked almost speechless. "Stop looking at my breasts like that. 'Tis most disturbing!" she spluttered.
Now Leliana's voice turned sly. "You don't think so? And if it's cut low in the front, we must put your hair up to show off that lovely neck."
"You are insane," Morrigan spat. "I would sooner let Alistair dress me."
Leliana laughed. "It'll be fun, I promise! We'll get some shoes, too! Oooh, shoes! We could go shopping together!"
Two things happened simultaneously. Leliana's voice cut off mid-giggle, turning into sort of a choked squeak, and the air was filled with the ambient sensation of raw power. Siobhan heard Morrigan make a questioning noise, then exhale noisily.
She stood frozen for a moment, afraid to look. Thank the Maker there are no windows overlooking this stretch, she thought in a panic, before she finally turned, expecting at the very least to see Leliana lying on the ground, wreathed in magical flames.
There was no sign of the Orlesian bard, in flames or otherwise. Gaping, she turned to Morrigan, who abruptly started laughing.
"Oh, the look on your face, little mageling," she said, leaning on her staff and holding a hand to her chest. She was sweaty, and the loose hair around her face was sticking out in all directions, but there was a strange glow of satisfaction suffusing her face.
"What have you done, Morrigan?" Siobhan whispered in horror. "What did you do to Leliana?"
Morrigan laughed a bit longer, then wiped her eyes and smoothed her hair. She looked down the road towards the market, and made a vague gesture. Siobhan turned to look and saw only a ginger tabby, one of several that seemed to infest Denerim, running around the corner of a building. "She went that way. Maybe to go look for some shoes." She made the last word a sing-song parody of Leliana's pronunciation. "Sadly, I think she'll need four instead of the normal two, and they'll have to be quite tiny. Also, I do not think the cobbler will accept mice as payment."
Siobhan gaped even more, which started Morrigan laughing again.
"You turned Leliana into a cat?" she gasped. "But I thought shape-changing only worked on the caster. I've never heard of anybody actually able to transform somebody else." She was aghast, yes, but also intrigued. Imagine being able to turn darkspawn into roaches or slugs ... something easy to kill and non-threatening. She shook her head in amazement, then recalled herself to the current crisis.
"We have to get her back," Siobhan said firmly. "Just imagine the uproar, and the questions that will be raised, if she turns back into herself somewhere awkward, like in front of some templars."
"I am fairly certain that it will take my power to revoke the change," Morrigan said smugly. "Besides, 'twould be nice to have a cat around the camp - to keep mice out of the food, for one. And her singing will be markedly improved, wouldn't you agree?"
Siobhan could not help the slight smile that crossed her face at the thought, and of course, the sharp-eyed witch caught it. "You do agree! Hah! Anyway, even if I wished to do it now, I would not. The force of the manifestation has quite exhausted me, and I'm not sure I could rescind what I did without being fully rested. I'm not even sure how I did it in the first place. I suppose she finally succeeded in making me so angry that I warped the change outwardly, instead of internally. I was thinking how satisfying it would be to turn myself into a bear and maul her..." she finished wistfully. "Hmmm, I wonder if I could do it again? Say to Alistair - turn him into a toad. Were he not a Grey Warden, I think it might be worth the experiment," she jibed.
Siobhan refused to rise to the bait. "Very well, then, we need to get the cat back," she clarified. "But there are so many just in the marketplace alone - how will we know which one is which? It would be horrifying if you turned a real cat into a woman." A cold nose pushed into her hand. She looked down, and Payback was grinning a doggy grin, stub tail wiggling.
"And there you have your answer," Morrigan replied. "I'm sure I still have a spare bag that we can put her in."
As they turned back towards the market, with Payback sniffing the trail ahead of them, Siobhan muttered, "Next time, I'm just bringing Sten. He won't babble, and he's big enough to carry all of the packages."
"A wise choice," was all Morrigan said.
# # #
And here I am - back at last. Real life has kept me off the keyboard for several months, now. My mother was steadily declining all last year (Alzheimer's and dementia), and finally passed away in December (on my birthday, no less). The ensuing garboil of settling her estate while keeping my job (and my sanity) intact was a struggle, and even though I had ideas, and realized that writing might help me cope, there was quite simply NO TIME to do it. But now things are more stable, and the muse has grabbed me by the ears and told me that I MUST WRITE AGAIN. If anybody is still out there, and still following me - bless you, and thanks for hanging in there.