[The notebook opens to this page when you pick it up. The Viscount of Kirkwall's handwriting is distinctive, and it appears to be a scene that he left out of 'The Tale of the Champion'.]
She sat back in her chair, spring-green eyes dancing with mirth as she set the mug of ale down. "So the thief comes stumbling out of the wardrobe, and starts going on about how he'd been 'seduced by crime' and whatnot, right? I tell him to begone, and while he's giving me a fresh monologue about sparing him, Valor lifts his leg and pisses all over him!"
The table exploded with laughter, while Fenris draped his arm over Marian's shoulder.
"Remind me to give the dog extra scratches the next time I see him." The elf lifted a claw-gauntleted hand, "He seems to enjoy that I can get all the itchy places he can't reach with these."
"Oh, surely you had to clean up after that?" Merrill giggled, her plum wine gone to her head.
"Of course, but I will never forget the look on his face! Or the sound of his shoes squishing with dog pee as he ran."
They were still in fits over Hawke's story when they hear Norah's voice rise above the din, "Hey, keep yer hands to yerself!"
Heads turned, and took in a massive, drunken sailor attempting to snatch a tankard from the waitress's tray while holding her around the waist.
"C'mon, girlie, if you're not gonna give me a kiss, at least let me have an ale!"
Tearing herself out of his grip, without spilling a drop, Norah snarled, "You'll have to pay fer it if ya want another. And ya don't look like you have the coin."
"I can give you a kiss." He leered at her.
Marian tensed and reached for her halberd, leaned against the wall next to the back of her chair. Varric reached for Bianca, Sebastian for his bow, and Fenris leaned forward, surreptitiously pulling his sword closer.
Setting down her tray next to Corff on the bar, her elbows wide to enforce her personal space, Norah turned back to the sailor. "I don't care if ya do have the coin to pay, ye're done. Get yer drunk arse out of here."
A table of sailors stood up, unsteady and eyes unfocused, "You trying to kick out our friend, wench?"
"There's no trying," Norah sniffed, "I am kicking him out."
The first sailor, snarling at having his advances and money rejected publicly, took a swing at Norah. Marian sprang up, then let out a whoop as the waitress dodged out of the way and gave the sailor a haymaker to the jaw, dropping him. She rounded on the other sailors, "Ya know what this means, lads?" The waitress took a minute to wipe her hands on the filthy cloth at her waist.
"FIGHT!" The bellow echoed through the Hanged Man.
Throwing her halberd back in place, Marian dove into the seething mass of sailors that were being jumped by the regular patrons of the tavern. She heard Fenris yell her name in a despairing tone from behind her. One sailor got a good punch across her chin, which she repaid with a knee to the gut. It had been far too long since she had been in a good bar brawl.
Her knuckles cracked against a squat sailor's cheek, busting them open. He snarled, her blood smeared across his face. A few more blows exchanged, Marian dropped him to the floor when he grappled her and she slammed her forehead into his nose. Looking around, she saw Sebastian holding off a drunk patron who was attempting to get at Merrill, confused by the fray. Fenris was wading his way through the writhing mass to try and drag her out.
As another of the offending group was laid out on the floor, the door of the tavern slammed open and Donnic threw himself in ahead of a squad of guards, yelling and shouting.
Popping out of the tangle of bodies, Fenris lifting her by the waist to carry her back to their table, Marian chirped, "Hello, Donnic! Fancy a hand of cards?" She paused."Don't tell Aveline, will you? I still owe a fine after the last time!"