Fenris squirmed on the chair impatiently. Why on earth did he agree with this? Not that he had much chance to refuse. When Garrett decided to do something, he simply did it. Protests never stopped him. He always got his results. And now he decided to improve Fenris's love life.
"Come on, Fenris, it's worth trying. Who knows, maybe you'll really find true love of your life here. And if not, at least you will have a fun evening;" he'd said.
They obviously had very different ideas of what was fun. Sitting in a café in this ridiculous garments and listening to strange women trying to be witty and seductive was anything but. He'd love to smash the stupid table and leave, but he'd promised to endure it for at least two hours, and he knew that Garrett was hiding somewhere near, making sure that he kept the promise.
He heard the chair being pulled, and someone sitting down, but he did not bother to lift his eyes. Waste of time - whoever it was, she'll be gone in a minute.
"Are you a mage?" he asked.
"No. Are you?" she snapped, and he was surprised how unladylike her voice sounded.
"No. If you were a mage, I'd have to rip off your heart. I hate mages. They should be exterminated."
"I agree. If you were a mage, I would have to squish you like a mushroom," she said, and he blinked. Half of the ladies had left after "rip off your heart" part.
He lifted his eyes and looked at the woman. She definitely wasn't your ordinary lady. There was something hard and rough about her. He kind of liked her. "Why do you hate mages? If you don't mind asking me."
"I was sold into slavery to a Circle of Magi. I had to follow their every order, and then they chose the most annoying one and gave me to him."
"You were a slave? To a mage?" He leaned forward, interested. "I know how terrible it must have been. I was a slave to a Tevinter magister, myself. He burned these lyrium markings into my skin."
"My master also liked to experiment with me. He said I was too big and fat and decided to reduce my size. With a chisel."
"That must have hurt," he whispered emphatically.
"Burning those lyrium markings must have hurt, too," she said, and he was touched. She cared! She understood him!
"It did. It caused a total amnesia, as well. I don't remember anything of my life before I got them."
"I don't remember anything before I became like I am now, either. Though that wasn't a mage's fault… and besides, I found out I volunteered for it myself."
"I – I found out the same thing," he confessed. He would never admit it to anyone else, but he was sure she would understand. "I even competed to be like this. To receive freedom for my family."
"I did it to save my homeland."
"So… what happened to the mage? The one that owned you?"
"I couldn't stand his foolish commands any more. I refused being used like a carrier of heavy objects or a walking battering ram. I squished him."
He looked into her eyes and realized that Garrett was right. He really did find his true love here. "I… what is your name?" he asked, as he suddenly realized he didn't know it yet.
"Shale. It was the name my master gave me. I don't remember my real name."
"Shale… it is beautiful. Just as you are."
"Most people are disgusted by my appearance."
"Really? I don't see why they would be put off."
"You really are unusual, for an elf. I… I like you."
"I like you, too. If there is a future to be had I would walk into it gladly at your side."
They left the café few moments later, oblivious of anything besides each other. So they did not notice a man and a dwarf, looking after them.
"Well. That didn't work out how I planned," the man complained.
"I don't know what you mean, Hawke. Even I could not make up better Ms Broody than her. And just wait till Isabela hears about this…"