I don't own anything from the Dragon Age franchise. But those guys are awesome.
Light poured into the windows of the estate; still-drawn curtains that hadn't been closed the night before provided a means for Hawke to wake suddenly with a jolt. Her eyes flew open and she sat up almost instantly, looking across the bed to find-
Nothing.
Hawke sighed heavily, swinging her legs over the edge and running her hands along her face. She waited for minutes, though it felt like longer. But after no surprises came her way she just assumed that she was alone again in the estate. Determined not to let it get the better of her, Hawke rose for the day and got dressed in the usual finery. As she drew the doors open, she heard the faint sounds of a voice from downstairs. Hawke walked out and pressed her hands against the railing, looking down at the silent fire escape and the familiar face.
"Did Bodahn and Sandal actually leave?" It was Aveline, searching around the room for the dwarves that usually took their places there.
"Yes, I believe Bodahn said something about making a trip to Orlais."
"Orlais?"
"Another woman has taken a liking to Sandal's creations." Hawke replied with much needed sarcasm, throwing in a defeated sigh at the end for good measure. Aveline only laughed, taking the time to shake her head at the other woman's tone of voice. "Good morning to you, by the way. I take it you didn't come all this way just to check on the shift in staff here."
"Actually, I wanted to ask what you were doing today."
"Why..." Hawke looked at the Guard-Captain with scrutiny; no conversations ever ended easily after that.
Aveline started talking again; something about a patrol in Lowtown and supervision requirements. Hawke's hands ran along the railing as she listened and made her way towards the stairwell. But before she made it, she stopped suddenly. The ridges of the wood were different, and a splinter caught in her skin. Hawke drew her hand away quickly, looking at it before searching the railing with her eyes.
"Hawke?" Aveline asked, watching her friend's sudden change in demeanour as she began curiously inspecting the railing. "Are you even listening?"
"Yes. Sorry, Aveline. I'm afraid I can't play babysitter for the new recruits today." Hawke shot up, glancing over at her before moving down the stairwell.
"What? I never said-"
"I'm busy. Some other time, maybe." Hawke brushed past her towards the door, turning back over her shoulder as she moved, "Or take the Mabari. He always knows how to straighten them out."
Hawke took to the streets quickly, dashing through Hightown. As she made her way through Lowtown, she stopped briefly at the Hanged Man, wondering if perhaps she misread the message. If so, Isabela would likely be there and she was just wasting her time. After a moment she shook her head, pushing off again and running towards the docks. When she got there, she stopped running. She didn't exactly want to look completely frazzled if she came face to face with the pirate. So she walked, calming her breath with even strokes as she moved. Sure enough, as she rounded a corner she saw her; leaning against the railing on the ship she now owned and facing out to the water.
"I thought I'd find you here." Hawke called out, walking towards the edge of the pier as Isabela turned around.
"Good morning, sweet thing." The Pirate replied, her eyes alight at the sight of the Champion. "Where else would I be?"
"I thought perhaps the Hanged Man."
Isabela replied with a cheerful laugh; "I suppose it's never too early to join the fun at the Hanged Man."
"Or too late." Hawke shrugged.
"Y'know, I always miss the best things that happen there. It seems that every night I'm away, something marvellous happens."
"Is this the part where I apologise for keeping you so busy?" Hawke asked, resting her hand on her hip briefly. Isabela pressed against the railing with her hands, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at the person below on dry land. "I'll never understand why you do the things you do. Leaving while I sleep and carving notes into the handrails."
"I'll have them widdled down to toothpicks soon enough."
"A normal person would have told me last night. Or left a note on paper. I was talking to Aveline when I found it and ran out before I heard what she wanted."
"Ahh, you could have brought her!" With a small incline of her head, Isabela indicated for Hawke to come aboard. At the request, Hawke made her way across the plank slowly, staring down at the water. "She loves this ship."
"No she doesn't."
Isabela laughed, almost obnoxiously at Hawke's words. "No, she bloody well doesn't."
"You... Could have waited to tell me this morning if you wanted me to meet you here. That's another alternative." Hawke did her best to inject some much needed enthusiasm into the words, but it fell flat. Isabela dropped her intrigued grin, replacing it for a small frown.
"I'm trying." Isabela hung her head for the moment, taking a second or so before looking up and continuing. "It's just... Sleeping after sex still feels unnatural."
Hawke raised her eyebrow, pressing her lips into a line before answering with; "You get used to it."
"Exactly." Isabela shot back. Hawke folded her arms, turning her gaze away and out to the water. She resisted the urge to delve into the topic further for fear that Isabela might retract completely. It had taken so long to even get to this point; the Champion wasn't about to risk it over an argument with a hot-headed pirate.
"So... You wanted to see me?"
"Oh, right!" Isabela sprang back to life suddenly, pushing off the railing and looping her arm around Hawke's as she walked towards the door at the opposite end of the ship. "I found something."
"Dare I ask?"
"Probably not," Isabela laughed as she opened the door, "But let me show you anyway."
Hawke walked through the door, turning back as it closed behind the two of them. She allowed Isabela to take the lead, stepping out and following along afterwards. Hawke folded her arms, her eyes wandering the halls as they made their way through the ship. Her eyes eventually trailed back to Isabela, her gaze travelling along the Rivaini's form idly. In that moment, Isabela turned and caught sight of the Champion's action. She threw her hand out, pressing it firmly to Hawke's chest and forcing her into the hallway wall. "This is business, Messere." Isabela teased, allowing the simple word to roll off her tongue slowly.
"Is it?" She asked with a grin, feeling the weight of Isabela's hand pressing harder. "Looks to me like we're headed for the Captain's Quarters. I have been here before, after all."
"That's where I put it, Hawke." Isabela replied, rolling her eyes. Hawke stifled a laugh at her words, and Isabela stood somewhere between annoyed and amused. Still she leaned in abruptly, pressing her lips harshly against the Champion's. Hawke fought against her, forcing herself away from the wall and crashing her form against Isabela's. Isabela ran a hand along Hawke's side as she eagerly kissed the other woman. But in the next moment, Isabela drew the Champion's blade and held it out against her with an amused smirk. Hawke took a sharp step back, looking up into her honeyed eyes before deflating her exasperated look. "Keep it in your pants, Messere," Isabela began, flipping the small knife in her hand and tossing it over to her, "At least for now. I'm being serious."
"You really do take delight in the suffering of others." Hawke muttered, rolling her shoulders slightly as she followed Isabela through the final door. There on the floor was a strongbox, rusted slightly with time. The lock appeared to be fiddled with endlessly, to the point where any attempt to pick it open was destroyed.
"What do you want me to do? I couldn't pick a lock to save my life." Hawke shot out.
"Just... Look at it."
Hawke knelt down towards it, and on closer inspection she realised the the lock was unlocked. She looked to Isabela with confusion. "You opened it already. So what?"
"It's not open." She breathed a heavy sigh, kneeling beside the Champion and lifting the lock away. Untangling the chains left a strange symbol on the top of the box, unable to be lockpicked. "It's... I don't know. I think it needs a special sort of key, but I've never seen anything like it." Isabela explained. Hawke ran her hand lightly along the circular form of the outer shape.
"A talisman, perhaps? I doubt an ordinary key shape would work." She shrugged lightly, standing back up again and taking a few steps back. Her face crumbled slightly with defeated annoyance.
"Exactly what I was thinking. Now, we just need to find it."
TBC.