A/N: What is this! A story from me that's not Twilight? I confess, I haven't written any of my in progress Twilight fictions for quite some time now- perhaps its out of my system or I needed a new fandom to try and destroy? Whatever it is, I've found it in the Dragon Age franchise and I confess that I love every minute of it. IThe writing style is different to my older writings, but it doesn't matter. New fandom, new style of writing!
Much love to that (large) group of Dragon Age role players on Facebook. Thank you for the inspiration and the unintentional help you've given me, not to mention the nights of hilarity.
WARNINGS: Sexual content and violence is contained in this fic. Subsequently the rating may change due to content.
SPOILER WARNING: For those who haven't played Dragon Age II and don't want a majority of the main/companion plot quests to be ruined, I advise that you play the game and then read this! If you don't care, go ahead! Likewise, there are spoilers for Dragon Age: Origins in terms of companions, but nothing that is effectual to the plot, unlike Dragon Age II. I warned you, don't come crying to me!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, none of the characters/races or world depicted in this story is property of me…its Bioware. Some parts are original and I can call my own however.
Drifting
By Clarissa Frey
Prologue
Isabela had no idea where she was. Faintly she could hear the soft, soothing sounds of water slapping against sand and the calls of birds. She could feel the water pushing up against her, keeping her on the shoreline and she didn't care, she was momentarily at peace and all she could focus on was her utter exhaustion, she didn't know how long she'd been swimming with the currents, escaping the Qunari ship that she had been imprisoned on.
Betrayed. The thought of what had happened crushed through her like a bitter knife; the bitterness racing through her sharpened her senses and she opened her eyes and began to grope feebly around her, panic making her still more alert; until her left hand landed on a wet, but solid object. Rolling over, she caught sight of the tome that she had taken with her when she had abandoned the Qunari ship and a breath of relief left her. Clawing at the sand, she hugged the tome to her chest, the book becoming a life line as the sun warmed her dark skin, she loved the sea and everything that came with it, but she knew she couldn't stay where she was. Sooner or later, the need for food and shelter would arise and she would have to move.
But first, she would lie where she was in the cool water and the warm, wet sand and plan her next move. There were clouds in the sky today, she thought, the water swirling around her, filling her ears and emptying, a continuous pattern that would never break unless she moved and it was then that she heard footsteps, but she was too exhausted to move once more and find something that would substitute as a weapon.
"Ah what would we have here?"
She heard an elderly voice ask and a face, masked with unruly, graying hair filled her vision, the face smiling to reveal a gummy mouth with one tooth. Isabela smiled weakly at the newcomer, wondering if the gods were trying to tell her something.
"A young woman is lying in the water and that cannot be good. Perhaps we should go home and have some soup?"
The elderly woman said to Isabela and she shuffled off leaving Isabela on her own. Somehow, she found the strength to call out to her, asking for help in a feeble voice. The footsteps continued to recede but she heard her call back.
"We'll be back soon with soup"
Isabela didn't reply; the older woman was obviously deranged. Dejected, Isabela relaxed against the sand, closing her eyes, cherishing the sounds of the sea as she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness once more.
"She's waking up grandmamma!"
A young voice said excitedly and Isabela moaned, finally feeling for the first time the aches and pains in her body, forcing open her eyes, she blinked clearing the sand from her eyes and sighted a young girl sitting at her bedside, squirming with excitement.
"We have stew for you; you slept for the longest time"
Another voice said and she sighted a younger woman, who picked up the child who had knelt at the bedside. Isabela, looked around her, finding her inside a spacious house, filled with the smells of soup and the sounds of playing children.
"Where am I?"
Isabela finally managed to ask, forcing her tired and aching muscles into action so she could sit herself upright and found that her clothes and jewelry had been removed and she was clothed in a simple tunic and leggings, quickly examining her surroundings, she spotted her clothes and jewelry sitting in a folded heap on a chair, the tome hidden underneath the large necklace she had always worn.
"Wycome, my mother found you on the beach. She is feeble-minded so when she sprouted her story of you in the water, one that we usually don't hear when she takes her walk up and down the beach searching for clams, we came to investigate and found you"
"I'm still in the Free Marches?"
The Free Marches, Isabela didn't know if this was a blessing in disguise or a curse. She had fled the Qunari ship two days into their voyage from Kirkwall, but never did she think that the currents would take her so far around the coast from Kirkwall. Yes she had vowed to return to Kirkwall, but now she was unsure. Trying to gather her thoughts, she combed her fingers through her hair as she tried to think of what she should do, she wanted out of her host's hair as quickly as possible.
"If you need to think and gather your wits about you, stay. All that my husband asks is that you aide me here in the home."
The woman said. Isabela nodded happy with the arrangement. The little girl was bouncing in the woman's arms excited to have a guest in the house. Pulling back the woolen covers on the bed she had slept on and pulled herself out of bed, wincing as she stretched cramped muscles.
"Thank you for your help, I appreciate it in a time like this"
Isabela said, she didn't introduce herself- being in the Free Marches still, she didn't know if the political circumstances in Kirkwall had spread- many people would be glad to see her dead at the moment and many people Isabela would gladly see dead herself. For this reason, she decided names weren't necessary. The woman, hesitated before gesturing for Isabela to follow her, showing her where she would sleep and where she could find things in the house.
"What is your husband's trade? I may be able to aid him"
Isabela asked when they wandered outside- the sun was setting, bathing the ground and water in different gradients of reds, pinks and purples. The woman explained her husband's trade- carpentry, leaving Isabela sorely disappointed.
The first week, Isabela rested helping out around the home where she stayed with the small jobs that would never get done- fixing the roof, repairing barrels; small things that accumulated over time and weren't exactly strenuous. At night, she would sit and think through her options- she knew she couldn't stay in one place for long. The Qunari would eventually hunt her down, she had escaped them twice- she wouldn't be able to escape them again.
As she thought of the circumstances in Kirkwall and what had been left behind, it suddenly became too much and she rose out of her bed roll and carefully stepped around the sleeping people, heading for the door that led outside. The sea salt in the air calmed her, the wind played in her hair- the surf was calm and the waves crashing on the shore served to calm her more.
"You couldn't sleep?"
Isabela had heard the light footsteps pattering behind here when she had closed the door carefully, she turned around from where she sat in the moonlight to see the eldest of her hosts' daughters, she was a lot quieter than the rest of her loud family, Isabela had noted. She smiled and gestured for her to join her on the dewy grass.
"Not tonight, many things plague my mind"
Isabela replied, looking back up at the stars. They sat in silence and her companion fidgeted beside her, struggling with some sort of internal conflict. Isabela revealed in this little amount of peace she had- too long it felt to her since she was able to sit back and admire the night sky.
"My father, he says that he thinks he knows who you are. There are whispers in the town of happenings in Kirkwall"
The younger girl finally said and Isabela looked at her companion, who held a look of apprehension on her face at speaking so boldly. Contrary to what she was thinking, she asked
"And who does your father think I am?"
The girl smiled, relief at some unknown thing crossing her face. She crossed her legs before answering Isabela's question
"He thinks you're the pirate Isabela"
Isabela frowned, she knew that people talked of her, that there were stories of her exploits but never had she expected to have been so talked about.
"Your father is right"
Isabela finally confirmed, resigned. She would have to leave now and only hoped the family would have enough good sense not to talk to others about who they picked up off the beach one early afternoon in passing conversation. The girl was delighted and Isabela didn't understand why.
"I have heard so many stories from the boys in the town about you! Are they all true?"
She asked, eagerly and Isabela frowned once more- if the young girl were hearing stories from the boys in town, then she was almost certain that they wouldn't be flavorsome to listen too.
"It depends on who you've been talking too, stories always change as the float from person to person you know, you shouldn't believe all of them."
Isabela cautioned her and the girl shrugged, not caring.
"But you inherited the captaincy of the captain of a ship though? And you're friends with assassins?"
She asked Isabela. Isabela sighed; usually she didn't care about what the stories said about her but for some reason it irked her now. Perhaps she wanted to get the set the stories straight, perhaps it was another underlying reason that she didn't quite understand.
"Would you like to hear them? From the very beginning?"
Isabela finally asked, she wasn't quite sure what she was getting herself into by agreeing to tell the stories from the pirate woman herself, but she supposed it would be nice to speak the truth for once, instead of embodying everything in deceit and lies. Without fail the younger girl nodded her head, excited to listen to the pirate's life stories.
"I do warn you though, my stories aren't going to be sugar coated and they are tales adults tell one another"
Isabela warned the girl with an tongue in cheek grin whilst wriggling her eyebrows and the girl laughed at Isabela's antics. The girl's expression changed to one of seriousness and a maturity that Isabela wasn't quite expecting.
"If I do not understand, I'm sure one day I will understand what you are talking about"
She said and Isabela smiled at her, before looking up at the stars once more. It was a lovely night, fit for sitting in a camp around the fire and telling stories. Isabela had cherished the times she was able to do that, whilst on the sea and whilst on the land and she missed it.
"From the very beginning, because I don't want to miss anything!"
The young girl insisted and Isabela rolled her eyes at her companion and snorted once at what she said. The girl giggled as Isabela began to laugh quietly.
"Since you were under the impression I was going to start in the middle or quite possibly at the end, then I shall start about three-quarters of the way through!"
She teased and the girl pulled faces before ending in a pout. Taking a deep breath, Isabela readjusted her legs, stretching them out and lying down on the grass for the ultimate comfort.
"The beginning…"