Title: Abandoned Sanctuary
Chapter: Prologue
In this fair land, I'll stay no more, here labor is in vain
I'll seek the mountains far away and leave the fertile plain
Where waves of grass in oceans roll, into infinity
I stand ready on the shore, to cross the inland sea
~I am going to the West-Connie Dover
She stepped off the long wooden pier onto the cobblestone walkway just as the fish merchants were putting up their stock for the day. As she sidestepped a pair of local children chasing one another, her hand instinctively went to her knapsack. It was still hanging near her hip and her money pouch still inside. She would have to find a place to exchange some of her foreign coin for the local ones if she was to be traveling within the country.
She kept her hood up, blocking her face from any passersby that may be curious. She had originally put it up to fight the wind that blew on the deck of the ship. The sky's shade started to turn crimson as the sun fought for its last bit of illumination before it submitted to twilight of the night. The cloaked woman lengthened her steps. Any traveler worth their salt knew you did not travel alone at night, especially if you were a woman.
The cloaked woman wasn't frightened of the darkening streets, far from it. She had traveled alone too long to fumble around aimlessly in the dark. Not that the pitch of the darkness mattered. Beneath her cloak, her green eyes shined slightly in the dimness; she couldn't see in complete darkness but in near darkness she could see all but the finer details.
She passed an alleyway that looked like it would be shadowed during daylight hours and could hear hushed voices coming from that direction. She made out four distinct voices. The cloaked woman walked further down the darkened street heading towards where she assumed most of the housing would be. There she would be able to find an inn, if they took her currency that is. Her sensitive ears picked up the sounds of leather boots hitting the cobblestone behind her.
They must have figured she would be easy prey. Their attempt at shadowing themselves in the darkness and trying to quiet their footsteps was laughable. Each step rang loudly against the stone road to her ears, they wouldn't have the opportunity to surround her though. She slipped into the door of an inn that, upon entering, obviously doubled as a bar and brothel.
She walked up to the bar and sat down. Some of the patrons were eying her and she could feel their eyes boring into her back. The barkeep put down the glass he was cleaning and walked up to her.
"What'd you'll have?"
"Ale if you have it, if not cider. I'll also need a room." The woman put several coins she had picked up in a nearby nation she passed through.
The barkeep looked at the coins then back up to the cloaked woman. "You're sure strange looking for an Orlesian woman."
Only the woman's green eyes could be seen from under her cloak and it made the barkeeper uneasy. "If you don't want my coin, I'll take it elsewhere." She reached as if to take the coins back from the bar but he quickly swiped the coins into his hands and began counting them.
"No, your coin is good here. How many nights you need?" He sat down a mug in front of her along with a key.
"Two," she picked up the mug and took a sip of its contents. Her jaw clenched at the taste. The barkeep handed her back two silver coins and pocketed the rest. He then left her to attend to other patrons.
The woman's eyes roamed the scene before her. She had positioned herself so she could see most of the bar, there was one empty table at her back that she paid no attention to. Her eyes met a lady of the evening. She had a fair amount of her bosom showing. The dress, if you call it that, was velvet and trimmed in lace. The woman in question smiled at her. The cloaked stranger gave a courteous nod in return and continued to scanning the room.
"Hello, Sugar, looking for some company for the evening?" The brothel worker said as she took a stool next to the cloaked woman.
"I'm afraid you have my gender mistaken, madam." The cloaked woman raised her head to the worker and smiled.
"Oh I don't mind if you don't." The brothel worker placed a lace-gloved hand upon the cloaked woman's leather one.
"Temptin' but I assure you I don't dance to that tune," the cloaked woman's meaning was caught on by the other woman.
"That… is a shame." The worker pouted. Her expression changed when she obviously saw someone she knew. "Claude, come here my dear." Claude came and took the seat next to the worker. He was about average height with a slim frame. His hair was held at the nape of his neck by a silk cord and brown curls framed his face. "This traveler needs some company for the evening." The brothel worker said to Claude when he walked over to them.
"Oh, is that so?" Claude smiled warmly at her. He slid on the other side of the cloaked woman and snaked his arm around her waist. The other brothel worker smiled and left the two alone. "Where does a delicate flower such as you come from? If your accent were any indication I'd say Starkhaven. Am I right?"
"Starkhaven? Is that the name of this land?"
"Maker, no this is Ferelden." The man laughed wholeheartedly.
She took the man's hand off her waist, downed the rest of the ale, and turned to look him in the eye.
His breath seemed caught in his throat, her eyes seemingly glowing beneath her hood, and he spoke barely above a whisper. "You are not from Starkhaven or Thedas for that matter are you?"
The woman smiled. "No Lad, I'm not from Starkhaven, nor any of these surroundin' lands. And much as it temps me to share your bed, I need rest after my journey." She chuckled lightly. "I'm afraid would not be getting any sleep this night if I have you join me." Her gaze went instinctively to the door behind the young man and at the four rough looking men that entered. The cloaked woman slipped Claude a silver coin.
He looked at her confused. "Why?"
She rose from her seat, "Keep safe."
The young man watched the woman wrapped in a cloak ascended the stairs. The four men from earlier watched the woman's ascent as well then climbed after her.
A/N
I would like to thank my beta, Janec Shannon-for being my sounding board and not quitting after all my comma mistakes-and all of the fanfiction writers who have inspired me to start writing again!
Also to Bioware for their awesome game!
This will be a 99% Dragon age fanfiction. There will be elements of Final Fantasy in here but you don't need to play or even had heard of the Final Fantasy series to know what is going on. Most of the important things are explained in the fanfiction.