Her pants were gone.
At first Rhian thought it was a prank. Someone had quietly followed her to the river and snagged her pants while she was busy washing. But then she noticed the broken tree branch. In hindsight, hanging her clothes to dry on branches that hung over the river hadn't been the most intelligent idea. She walked along the shallow water edge and found a broken branch, but no pants. The current of the river picked up the further she walked. Ahead she could see the bend in the river and she knew after that the water became too dangerous to continue her search.
Her pants were gone.
"Rhian!" Cassandra's voice echoed the air. Rhian jumped. She couldn't really see the woman. For all she knew, Cassandra was standing in the middle of the camp and her accented voice could carry that far through the forest.
"Yes Cassandra!" Rhian shouted back.
"I need to discuss something with you at the camp!"
"Alright! I'm almost finished with my wash, I'll be there as soon as I can!"
There was an extra pair in her tent, so she wasn't completely out of luck yet and in additional fortune, the sun had begun it's evening descent. The forest path would be well shaded, there was just the task of getting to that tent without being seen. She waddled her way to the pebbled shore to get back to her things more quickly by land. There was a cool breeze that dried her body along the way but it left a chatter in her teeth and goose bumps on her grey skin. Once to her things, she put her boots and top back on, then knelt to pull the shirt down over her legs for a moment to warm up. The decision to leave her long, heavy jacket behind seemed like another bad idea.
She brushed her hair into a quick ponytail, wrapped her soap bar up and threw everything into her bag. As she trotted back to the camp, she kept very close to the path's edge and held her bag in front of her hips with one hand while her free hand swung at her side. She kept an eye out for every thick tree and tall bush in the case of the emergency that was bound to happen. And it did. Dorian and Solas came up from another path with some sticks and chunks of dry wood in their arms for the camp fire. At the sound of their voices and footsteps, she immediately ducked into the closest large bush. Though that action drew attention, especially when a branch stabbed her in the thigh.
"Shit!"
"What are you doing in the bushes?" Dorian asked as they both approached.
"I saw a few rabbits and I thought that would be a welcome addition to our meal tonight," Rhian kept herself low enough to hide her waistline.
"I don't think I've ever tried rabbit before," Dorian said.
"Oh, it's delicious. You'll love it. You've tried rabbit before, right Solas?"
"I hate rabbit," Solas blurted out.
"Well then, more for us!" Rhian laughed, then she waved her hand, "I'll see you back at the camp." She ducked back down into the bushes, more careful not to stab herself this time, and kneeled close to the ground enough to watch their feet. They crossed her path to continue on their own, which meant they still had more wood to collect. Good. With any more luck Varric, Sera, and Iron Bull were still out on their hunt for dinner. It was very comforting to think there were so few at the camp. It meant a better chance of saving face and at the very least, Cassandra, Vivienne, and Cole didn't seem like the types to make an embarrassing deal of her situation should they catch her.
When she came close to the camp, she took to the brush and trees again. It was exactly as she hoped. Cole was digging a small impression into the ground at the center of the rock circle where the cooking fire would be. Vivienne sat comfortably on a small pillow under a tree and used the last bit of orange sunlight that came through the forest to read. Cassandra was nowhere to be seen. She was likely inside her tent waiting for Rhian to handle whatever important business she had to discuss.
Rhian put her bag down by a tree in hope that she could minimize any sound she might make next. Then darted from tree to tree, bush to bush with careful, quiet steps. Stealth was not this qunari's strongsuit, however the evening breeze began to really animate the forest. The rustle of the trees created just enough noise to help disguise what she typically could not under her weight and size. Even with the crunch of one unexpected batch of leaves, everyone in the camp seemed too distracted to notice. Soon, she was behind the tree Vivienne sat at. Just a quick walk behind a few more tree's, and she'd be close enough to get in the back side of her tent unnoticed. Vivienne had scooted away to try to catch the last bit of sunlight, her back fully towards Rhian and Cole had walked over to the forest path as if to look out for the others return. Rhian was virtually home free.
"Rhian!" came a shout from the forest. Rhian hid further behind the tree, her heart pounded hard in her chest.
"Who was that?" came Cassandra's voice accompanied by the sound of fabric flapping as she emerged from her tent.
"It sounded like Sera," Vivienne said. There was an abrupt rustle of forestry and Rhian could hear Sera's heavy boots pound across the dirt.
"Rhian?! Has anyone seen Rhian!?" Sera gasped for breath.
"I spoke to her not too long ago, she was washing in the river. What is going on?" Cassandra asked.
Sera coughed and cleared her throat, "We just found her pants on the shore by the river rapids. They were torn up pretty badly. Varric and Ironbull are searching for her, I came back to see if she was here, but if she's not here..."
Rhian slapped both her hands to her face, "Maker no," she whispered.
"Cole, go find Dorian and Solas, tell them to meet us by the river," Cassandra ordered.
"I'm fine!" Rhian shouted from behind the tree.
"Rhian?" Sera gasped. Rhian poked her head around the tree and waved at the three women who stared back at her in shock. An extremely relieved look crossed Sera's face and she slapped her chest a few times. Cole walked into view, eye's wide.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, fine," Rhian said.
"What kind of joke is this!" Cassandra roared.
"Believe me, it's not a joke at all," Rhian shook her head.
"You have scared us all nearly half to death!"
A small smile crossed Sera's face as the situation seemed to add up in everyone's minds but Cassandra's. Vivienne leaned in against the tree and spoke in a low voice, " Do you have an extra pair in your tent?"
"Yes, in my trunk," Rhian said.
"I'll get them for you," Vivienne rushed away.
"What the hell were you thinking? If you had needed help you should have told me! I was right there!" Cassandra shouted.
"Yes, next time I'll swallow my ego and ask for help," Rhian said.
"Swallow your ego! You could have died!"
Sera began to cackle.
"What is so funny elf?" Cassandra snapped.
"I can't find them," Vivienne came back out of Rhian's tent, "Did you maybe leave it in another trunk?"
"No it should be in that trunk," Rhian said.
"Am I invisible now?" Cassandra asked.
"I only saw your armor," Vivienne shook her head.
"What are you doing...Rhian will you stop hiding behind that tree," Cassandra began to cross the camp ground.
"Cole, turn around," Rhian ordered. He immediately turned his back to her. Rhian then came out from behind the tree with a resounding whistle from Sera.
Cassandra gasped, "Why don't you have any small cloths!?"
"What's the matter, never seen another woman nude before?" Rhian asked as she walked into her tent.
"Excuse me for being worried about common decency!" Cassandra shouted.
"Well it's certainly the first I've seen a half naked Qunari woman," Sera shrugged, "Not bad."
Vivienne let out a very loud, exasperated sigh, "Let me know when supper is ready. I'll be in my tent finishing my chapter by candle light," she said.
"Is it safe for me to look around now?" Cole asked.
"Yes," Sera cackled again, "I'm going to go tell Varric and Iron Bull that she's okay before either of them drown themselves looking for her."
Rhian's spare pants were buried at the bottom of her trunk, smashed into a corner and wrinkled terribly. She inspected it for holes before she put them on, there was a small one on the knee, but nothing bad. When she came back out, Cassandra had remained where she stood with her hand on her forehead as though she had a sudden severe headache.
"What was it that you needed to discuss with me?" Rhian asked.
"Let me apologize first, I lost my temper only because I misunderstood your situation," Cassandra said.
"It's alright. I can't imagine I would have had my head on straight if I thought anyone else had drowned," Rhian said, "Now, the matter you wanted to discuss."
Cassandra shook her head and pressed her lips together, "I don't remember now. I'll come back to you later when I do."
"Oh. Okay..." Rhian looked out across the camp. Dorian and Solas had returned with the fire wood. There were very distinct smirks on their faces.
"Rhian, do you have that rabbit skinned and ready?" Solas grinned, "I'm very much in the mood for rabbit now."