"Isabella, what's the ocean like?" Merril asked as she watched Isabella consume her drink.
"Oh the ocean? Well I've lived quite a long time on it…of course…its vast…blue…beautiful….sometimes I really miss it." Isabella replied.
"How 'bout I take you there to swim Kitten? The wounded coast does have quite a nice beach." Isabella chuckled.
"Really?" Merril exclaimed.
"Really Kitten…..hmm let's see if we can get others to come with us." Isabella suggested.
Hawke walked over to them.
"What are you two talking about over here?" Hawke asked getting a seat next to Merril.
"Isabella is taking me to the beach, would you like to come?" Merril replied.
"Hmmmm…I don't know..maybe? I'll have to see-"
"You can bring that pretty elf boyfriend of yours." Isabella smirked.
"It's a deal." Hawke said getting up and walking over to Fenris's table.
Varric, Bethany and Anders sat nearby in the table next to him, talking about mages and other things. Hawke then sat down next to her boyfriend.
"So tomorrow would you be willing to come to the beach with us…just for a little bit?" Hawke asked.
"Why? I really don't see any reason to go." Fenris
"Well just for a small break,we do so much every day. We could use time to relax some days." Hawke said.
"The beach? I want to go! I haven't been swimming in so long. Maybe I'll do some spear fishing with Bianca." Varric chimed in.
"How 'bout it sunshine? You wanna go to the beach?" Varric asked Bethany.
"It sounds like fun. I'll go!" Bethany smiled.
"I'd rather not." Anders retorted.
"C'mon lighten up blondie. All you ever do is sulk all day. You could use a day like this." Varric argued.
"Whats all the fuss about?" Aveline stepped in.
"We're going to the beach tomorrow! Would you like to come Aveline?" Bethany asked
"Oh no, I have too much to do and-" Aveline was cut off when she saw Bethany's face sadden.
"Oh alright!" Aveline scoffed.
"Sounds like everyone is coming then." Merril said walking over to their group with Isabella.
"I'm not." Anders said.
"Oh come on, everyone's going. You can't just sit alone by yourself….pleaaaaasseee!" Merril begged as she gave him puppy dog eyes.
"Fine." Anders sighed.
It was another overcast day as usual at the Wounded coast. Frogs croaked, there was a slight breeze in the air, quite a nice day out for a small picnic to the beach. The group made their way over to the beach, all the girls were excited talking and laughing about the things they were going to do, the food they prepared for everyone. Varric even joined in their conversation, leaving Anders and Fenris sulking in the back.
"In all honesty..I don't think ive ever gone in the ocean before…and I don't know if I want to." Fenris said to Anders.
"It's not terrible. It might be warm today." Anders replied.
"Since when do you two not bicker?" Bethany turned around and asked.
"I think we're both mutual about this trip." Anders said.
"Party poopers." Merril laughed.
"I'm sure they'll find something to do." Hawke said.
They had stopped right at the perfect spot. The water was clear and calm, the waves rose in and out softly. The sea breeze scent was in the air. Everyone began unpacking and then went to change behind some rocks, except for Isabella, she changed right on the spot not caring much. Hakwe covered Fenris's eyes. Isabella then jumped right into the ocean.
"Come in, oh it feels wonderful!" Isabella smiled.
Merril and Bethany ran straight in and swam over to Isabella.
"Don't you all think we're being a bit exposed….don't we fight a lot of bandits here." Anders said to everyone?
"Oh calm down blondie, go change! You'll get sand in your armor." Varric laughed.
Anders sighed and finally went to change.
Hawke came back from getting changed. Fenris noticed her from afar as he sat on a rock. He slightly blushed seeing her body.
Aveline nudged Fenris in the arm.
"Go on, take her to go swimming." She said smiling.
"I don't-"
Fenris was cut off when Aveline shoved him off his rock.
"Alright..i'm going…" Fenris groaned.
"C'mon Fenris, lets go swim!" Hawke smiled at him.
"Can I please just go sit down?" Fenris asked.
Hawke shot him a sad look.
"Fine, I'm going. I'm just going up to my waist okay? I'd rather not get my hair wet." Fenris sighed.
Hawke took him by the hand and lead him into the clear waters where they waded.
"I guess this isn't so bad…I've never been in the ocean before." Fenris smiled at Hawke.
Then Isabella popped up from out of the water behind him and pushed him right face first into the water.
"PFFT HAHAHA!" Isabella said plopping back into the water.
Fenris slowly raised his head out of the water and began blowing bubbles and looked at Hawke. By the look of his brow, he wasn't too happy.
Hawke just smiled and shrugged.
"Lighten up you." Hawke laughed.
Back on the shore, Anders sat quietly sulking to himself.
"Blondie, you get your butt in the water. Now." Varric said pushing him into the water's edge.
"Oh come now, I'm not going in."
"Suit yourself." Varric said turning and running into the water.
"CANNON BALL!" He yelled making a decent sized splash.
"Was that a challenge?" Isabella asked Varric smirking.
"Maybe it was Rivaini." Varric laughed.
"You're on." Isabella said slyly.
Thus began the cannon ball contest. Isabella began sprinting off the nearest small rock cliff and flipped in the air. She then put her body in a cannon ball and she splashed right into the ocean. Hers was slightly bigger than Varrics.
"I've done this way too many times." Isabella laughed.
"Hey Anders, you're next!" Merril laughed.
"You're all ridiculous." Anders said folding his arms.
Bethany and Merril got out of the water and dragged him over to the rock cliff and pushed him off. Perfect belly flop. Everyone had a round of laugher at what they just witnessed. Anders immediately got out of the ocean and dragged over to his rock. His entire chest was red.
"I'm next!" Bethany yelled
She backed up and did a full force cannon ball into the ocean…of course she used a bit of magic to help with the waves.
"I call magic you're cheating sister!" Hawke laughed.
After everyone had done a jump, each of them had decided that Isabella was the winner. Not much of a surprise there.
Varric began building sand castles with Bethany, except they continued to crumble and break.
"Oh I guess I'll never be good at this sort of thing." Bethany sighed.
"Don't worry sunshine. It just takes practice." Varric smiled at her.
They continued to make crumbly sandcastles.
"Oh no the both of you are doing it all wrong, you need more water than that to hold them up better." Anders complained at them.
Finally he got sick of just sitting here.
"Alright I'm doing this, move out of the way." Anders scoffed.
Bethany and Varric both got up to go search for shells and such on the rocks to add to the castle.
Merril began following a small crab around curiously.
Aveline sat down next to Isabella.
"This was a nice idea." Aveline said to Isabella.
"Well, thank Kitten. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her." Isabella said taking a swig of her drink.
Hawke and Fenris went into the more shallow area and began looking in the small pools. Small sea creatures of all sorts were in the pools. Fenris reached in and picked up a small starfish. It wiggled in his cupped hands.
"What is this peculiar creature?" Fenris asked Hawke.
Hawke looked up from the pool "Oh it's a star fish. They like to climb on rocks and such…you've never seen one before?" she asked.
"No, I like it though…it's not bothering me." Fenris said.
He then put it back into the pool and looked at the other little wonders in there.
Hawke was looking in another pool when Fenris found a clam shell, not sure what to do with it, he examined it and saw it was closed shut. He then smacked it on the side of a rock and it cracked open. Inside he found a small white shiny ball, a pearl. He cupped it in his hand and closed his hand over it.
"Hawke…" Fenris said getting up and making his way over to her.
He sat down in front of her and held out his clutched fist and opened it slowly.
"For you." He said smiling.
Hawke's eyes lit up in excitement.
"It's beautiful." She said
"Not as beautiful as you…." Fenris breathed.
They looked up at each other and shared a passionate kiss.
Bethany and Varric walked along the rocks, Varric held out his hands to help her across the rocks.
"Thank you Varric!" Bethany smiled.
"Anytime Sunshine, now let's find some shells!" Varric said.
The two of them found lots of small shells, Varric found one of those giant shells and handed it to Bethany.
"Hold it up to your ear, you'll hear the ocean." Varric suggested.
She did and laughed. They then continued to collect seaweed and more shells to bring back.
"Everyone! It's time to eat!" Aveline yelled. Everyone walked back over to the main area of the beach and sat down to eat. Anders made a small bonfire for everyone to sit around and Varric began telling stories. Bethany and Merril weaved seaweed crowns for everyone to wear. Everyone got drunk by the end of dinner.
"Hey…Varric…Varric….I bet *hic* you can't fish with your crossbow!" Isabella challenged him.
"Bianca can get…fish real good. You just see." Varric stumbled over to the water with Bianca in his hands.
"Watch this." Varric exclaimed while shooting his arrow into the water.
Everyone watched in silence as the arrow shot into the water and tugged slightly.
"See! I got something, Oh its huge!" Varric said excited while reeling in his catch.
It was a large piece of seaweed.
Everyone laughed at what had happened. It was sunset when everyone decided to head back home to Hawke's Mansion. Drunk and giggling at everything, they all tracked sand into the mansion.
"There's sand everywhere…there's sand in my tunic…" Anders complained.
"Be quiet….blaaandie." Varric said dragging himself up the stairs and on to his bed where he cuddled with Bianca and fell asleep.
The day was quite an exciting one, and one the group will always remember.
THE END