Delilah was short and slight for a sixteen year old girl, a sign of a malnourished childhood that was abundant in Kirkwall. She had honey blonde softly curled hair that fell to her lower back and blue eyes like the sea after a storm. Her skin was the color of cream in the moonlight, only the sunlight would call out the hues of bronze. She wore her hair tied into a side ponytail with a black band decorated with metal charms. Bangs covered her forehead and framed her smooth face. Her bottom lip was plump and chapped from a habit of chewing it when she was deeply concentrating. Her nose was thin at the bridged, but rounded at the end. She could be considered lovely, but a lifetime of hunger left her with a bruised appearance under caked layers of dirt and dust.
Delilah wore rags and leftovers like most of the poor in Kirkwall. She wore a torn sleeveless summer robe over what was once a white collared vest. The robe was made from a lovely pink see-through material and with white wings embroidered on the back. The robe's sash was long gone and Delilah had cut the robe so it ended at her hips. The vest retained five of it's six metal buttons and was made for a man, but it fit Delilah's frame and small bust. The trousers Delilah wore were tattered and plagued with patches. They fit snugly to her legs and ended at her knee. Her hands, elbows, and knees were wrapped with leather strips for protection. Her shoes were constructed from discarded boot soles and spare bits of beaten leather and were laced tightly to her feet. Her belt was woven from more scraps of leather and held two beaten scabbards, which held twin blades good for slashing.
Maker she was starving, it was two days since her last good meal and at least six hours till she got paid. Her stomach twisted upon itself, grumbling and groaning about it's emptiness. Delilah sighed and tightened her belt another notch to quiet her gut. It would do her no good for her target to hear her insides as she stalked him. Luckily the roof tops were a safe distance from the moonlit street where the man walked, not that Delilah expected the man to hear anything over the racket of his bickering companions.
Her target was a big man, tanned from hours in the sun and built like a brick wall. He bore a broadsword strapped to his back and his arms bulged with muscles trained to wield it. Delilah couldn't make out his facial features from her vantage point, but she could tell the man had a thick head of black hair and a trimmed beard. He walked like a man conscious of every part of his body, a smooth balanced gait unimpaired by his dull plate armor. The man was tall, Delilah guess that if she stood before him the top of her head would reach his collar bone. All-in-all he was a man Delilah wouldn't want to engage in direct combat. Luckily, this job only required her to follow him discretely.
The man's companions consisted of another man and two elves, all of whom followed behind the warrior like ducklings. The other man was roughly the same height as the first, but slimmer in his build. He wore a feathered coat and carried a large staff with metal caps on either end. He walked with too much energy to be a focused warrior like the first man, so Delilah guessed he was either new to the streets or just along for the night stroll. This man had no beard and longer blonde hair, which he kept tied back in a pony tail. He was arguing heatedly with a small dark-haired female elf.
This elf was built like most female elves, willowy and short. She also carried a staff, but her's appeared to be a large tree branch of some sort. Delilah thought she could make out delicate tattoos on the female's face as the group passed under a torch, but Delilah didn't want to risk a bolder observation point to satisfy her curiosity. The female elf wore a dark green battle-dress over black leather underpads. Delilah wasn't sure what function the female elf performed in battle, but Delilah suspected that the elf didn't need to serve a role in fighting if she was simply there for fucking.
The last elf was far more like the warrior, built to wield the two-handed blade he carried . He moved as if he mastered the area surrounding him. This elf had a mess of bright silver hair and darkly tanned skin. His armor was darkly colored and thick, save for what looked like silver detailing on the sleeves, collar, and shoes. The reason why anyone would detail armor suited for stealth with bright silver vines escaped Delilah. She knew he wasn't a complete idiot, for he was the only one in the group to scan the surroundings. Twice he had lifted his head to study the roof tops, causing Delilah to duck completely out of sight.
Delilah snapped out of her study of the group to see the male elf's head lifting upwards once more. Delilah instantly dropped below the low wall that ran along the edge of the rooftop she occupied. Cursing under her breath, she calculated her next move. It was clear now that the silver haired elf suspected someone was tailing the group. A target looking around once was boredom, looking twice was nerves, looking three times was suspicion. Delilah strained her ears to listen for the group, it sounded like they were moving on.
Delilah didn't want to risk peeking to confirm the group's movements, there was a good chance that the silver haired elf would still be scanning the roofs, so she went for her plan B exit. There was a tight alley way next to the lowtown market area and hightown exit she could get to from one of roof tops connected with the one she currently was crouched in. Delilah reached the gap the alley way left between two roofs, checked the security of her gear, and straddled the empty space. She bent down to brace her hands on the edge of the roof tops. Delilah took a calming breath and let her body dangle into the alley way. Suddenly Delilah dropped herself into the alley way, slowing her descent by pushing her feet and hands into the walls on either side of her.
She landed safely with a small thump on the ground. Brushing off the loose rubble from her gloved hands, Delilah headed towards hightown. She hadn't seen the target enter the Hanged Man, but that was the only place for a group of people to go in lowtown. Delilah didn't really care to make sure that was his destination. Follow him quietly and take note of his activities – that was the job. Her employer was satisfied with her work thus far, why risk more if the pay was the same?
Twilight was fast approaching and Delilah's stomach gave another painful groan. She had roughly six hours until her employer wanted to meet, but no where to really spend the time. Delilah kept to the dwindling shadows of the hightown streets as she made her way to the Viscount's Keep, it would do her no good to be caught by a gang guardsman or an actual guardsman. She wandered to the training grounds behind the keep and found a relatively safe niche to rest in.
Delilah woke from her cat nap to the sounds of the guards clinking and clanking their way to the training grounds for morning routines. Delilah eased herself upright, wincing as her joints creaked, and moved out of her hiding spot. The men and women of the guard passed by her on their way to the dirt field for sparing, those that knew her called out greetings.
"Mornin' Rabbit."
"Little early to be out and about."
"Come to sign up Rabbit?"
Delilah nodded towards the various guards who greeted her, but kept her chapped lips pinched tightly together. She hated that fucking nickname. Suddenly Delilah's scanning gaze found the bright orange head of hair she was looking for.
This ginger guardswoman had eyes prone to disapproving looks and a jaw that could break a fist, but Delilah supposed both fit well with the woman's forceful personality. She paid well too, that was good enough for Delilah. The guardswoman spotted her soon enough and made her way over.
"Mornin' Rabbit. What's the report?" The woman tugged and adjusted her armor before fixating her gaze on Delilah's dirty face.
"Same routine. He delivered several items and fought the lowtown gang," Delilah shifted from one foot to the other as she spoke, the guardswoman's direct focus tended to be unnerving.
"I'm not paying for generalizations Rabbit," the guardswoman crossed her arms over her chest plate and frowned. Delilah sighed and started over.
"I picked up his trail roughly around late midday," Delilah caught the guardswoman's annoyed look and corrected to, "I found him after the third bell." The guardswoman nodded and gestured for Delilah to continue. "He'd gathered several items from his trips to the mountain and the wounded coast and spent about three hours delivering packages to a ship spotter in the docks, a nobel woman in the hightown market, a mage in the gallows, and some poor fuck in darktown," Delilah ignored the guardswoman's grunt of disapproval for her swearing.
"Anything illegal in those packages?"
Delilah shrugged, "Not that I could tell. They seemed to be mostly knick knacks or human remains."
The guardswoman stiffened, "He was carrying around corpses?"
Delilah scratched at an itch behind her right ear, "More like a pile of bones. No smell or anything. The guy from darktown didn't seemed surprised to receive it."
The guardswoman rubbed at the lines in her forehead, "What else was that idiot doing?"
"After he was done in darktown, he met up with that blonde guy and two elves. They went shopping for armor and weapons in lowtown. Nothing really happened after that until night fall," Delilah anticipated the guardswoman's reaction, "I mean eighth bell. He and the group took out the Sharp Little Pin-Dicks, looted the hideout, and headed towards the Hanged Man."
The guardswoman held up a hand, "What do you mean he took them out?"
"It's a polite way to say he beat the every-living shit out of their patrols, before heading to their hideout and skull-fucking their leader," Delilah enjoyed the wince that came across the guardswoman's face. This woman was far to tightly wound for her own good.
"You saw him dispatch all those men?"
Delilah shook her head, "I tend to avoid scenarios where I catch a stray arrow in the eye. I surveyed the aftermath though. Lots of meaty bits and bloodstains."
The guardswoman seemed to approve of the man's actions, a small pleased smile threatened the corners of her mouth. "Well at least he seems to be killing the right sort of people."
Sharp stabs of anger and hunger radiated from Delilah's gut, "Cause no one gives a shit if poor people trying to make a living get slaughtered."
The guardswoman didn't back down, "Not if they resort to illegal activities or prey on other citizens." Delilah turned her head away and pinched her lips together to stave off further retorts. It was useless to talk commoner sense into people who saw the world in black and white, and she wasn't getting paid to try.
A female voice called out from the sparing fields, "Hey Aveline! You coming?"
"In a moment Brennen," the guardswoman called back. Delilah leaned back against the stone wall of the Keep and crossed her arms over her small chest. The guardswoman's attention returned to Delilah, "Anything else to report then?" Delilah shook her head. The guardswoman sighed and reached for the small coin purse on her belt, "You know Rabbit, you could get an honest job here at the Keep. The guards could use a good currier." Delilah said nothing, it was an old conversation between her and the guardswoman. The guardswoman emptied the small purse into her hand and counted out Delilah's pay. "Can you tail him again tonight? Hawke's bound to be up to something and Maker knows he doesn't tell me a blasted thing."
Delilah stood up from the wall and held her hand out, "I can try to find him later tonight." Delilah didn't elaborate farther than that, no sense in telling a city guard about every odd job she had in the works. The guardswoman hesitated before handing over the coin, Delilah's stomach had chosen that moment to loudly voice it's displeasure. Delilah fought the embarrassed blush that was creeping onto her dirty cheeks and watched as the woman thought about the coin in her hand. The guardswoman reached back into her coin purse and dropped an additional silver into Delilah's waiting hands with her regular pay.
"Get something substantial to eat Rabbit, and take a bath," the guardswoman adjusted her armor and strolled past Delilah to the training ground.
Delilah immediately pulled out the coin purse she kept on a leather necklace under her vest and tucked the money away. She felt almost giddy at the thought of breakfast and couldn't help the smile that dimpled her cheeks. Delilah raced from the training grounds to the lowtown market, where she could get the most food for her coin.
The lowtown market was already bustling with business in the morning hours. Delilah weaved her way through the crowds with ease, buying up food from the various venders. She fought the urge to drool over the wrapped packages of food in her arms as she climbed the several flights of stairs that lead to the roof tops of the lowtown residential district. Her tiny home was one among many on these roof tops. It was little more than a tent with blankets, but it was hers and Delilah was proud of it. Actual housing was far too expensive for most of the runners in Kirkwall, so the small community banded together to claim a few joined roof tops for themselves.
Delilah hopped over and dodged around various limbs that poked out of the tents surrounding her own. She would have a few precious moments to stuff her face before the smell of her breakfast woke the others. Ducking into her tent, Delilah dropped the packages and ripped off the coverings to a hot turkey leg. Eagerly she began to tear and gnaw the juicy warm flesh from the bone.
Sounds of her fellow runners waking up sprinkled through the air, followed by a mad scrambling towards her tent. The first heads to peak into her tent belonged to the Crawler twins. Identical hazel eyes blinked sleepily at her through identical messes of mopish brown hair.
"Mornin Rabbit," two voices grunted as four hands snatched a package containing a loaf of bread from the pile. Delilah was to busy suckling on the tendons of her turkey leg to respond. The next vulture turned out to be Sarah, a dark skinned runner with a shaved head who crawled into Delilah's tent with a hunk of bread in her mouth. Sarah collapsed on Delilah's blankets and rested her head on Delilah's thigh. Sarah gave no morning greeting, choosing instead to slowly savor the bread in her mouth. More hands and faces came to Delilah's tent, and each left with a portion of food and a murmur of thanks.
The last runner to make an appearance was Jack, and Delilah's heart gave a funny jump at the sight of his dark face. Jack's almond shaped black eyes took in the sight of the runners outside eating and the sight of Sarah and Delilah feasting inside the tent before a deep chuckle vibrated out from his chest, "Good haul I take it?" Delilah nodded around her mouthful and tossed him a package containing another turkey leg. Jack moved into the tent and folded his large frame into the left over space. He tore into the meat with the same enthusiasm Delilah showed her turkey leg.
Delilah, Jack, and Sarah devoured their portions in silence, as if the smallest distraction would cause the food to disappear. When the last of the breakfast was swallowed, Delilah pulled out her coin purse and deposited the remaining funds on her blankets. Sarah sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "Fourteen silver? I thought you weren't fucking." Sarah's Anderfalls accent was thick, causing her to speak like her mouth was full of rocks. Delilah removed her gloves to wipe the grease from the turkey leg off her face with her bare hands.
"Not from fucking, easy job," Delilah spoke around sucking the grease off her fingers. "Uptown garish wants a roundabout every couple of days". Garish was the nickname the runners had for the city guards. Tinkles were templars. Hags were Chantry members. Sarah snorted and used her ragged tunic to blow her nose.
"More than fourteen silver for a roundabout? Who's the quail, the Maker's dick?" Sarah began picking up the silver from the blanket. Delilah sat up straighter to remove her belt.
"Hawke," she said coyly. Jack shot her a look with raised eyebrows, he was also focused on sucking the turkey juice from his hands.
"That's a bad man to mess with Rabbit. I hear he can rip a man's heart from his chest, while the man's still breathin'," Jack's own accent tended to turn his T's into D's and drop his H's entirely. Jack raised his knees up and rested his muscular arms on them. Delilah fought to keep her eyes away from his rough hands.
"He's like any other quail Jack," Delilah shifted, but couldn't stretch out with Sarah and Jack taking up all the extra room in her tent. Sarah finished gather the coin and moved to exit the tent. "I'll add it to the pot. Good on you Rabbit," Sarah said as she stood and picked crumbs from her clothing to eat. Delilah groaned and stretched out onto her stomach in the space Sarah previously occupied. Her tent now shut and the food gone, no one would disrupt the private shade her tent provided. Jack watched her with a wry smile on his lips.
"Dozing off so soon Rabbit?" Jack turned and laid down on his back next to her. Rabbit rested her head on her folded arms and studied Jack's turned face. Her full stomach and the warmth of Jack's body were more effective than a sleeping potion.
"I was up all night chasing a heart nabbing quail, I think I deserve a rest," Jack's small chuckle birth a small ball of warmth within her. The tendons in his strong neck flexed under his dark skin as he smiled and stared at the roof of her tent. Delilah's thoughts turned to lazy fantasies of licking, nipping, and kissing her way up and down that neck. As if sensing the direction her thoughts, Jack turned his head and smiled at her.
"I should reward such bravery," Jack inched his body closer to Delilah's. Delilah smiled and rose up to rest the weight of her upper body on her elbows.
"I already have money," Delilah inched closer to Jack's body, their sides pressing together. "And I already ate," Delilah brushed her longer bangs behind her ear, then rest her arm across Jack's chest. Jack's grin widened as her face hovered over his. "So what could you possibly give me?" She smiled impishly down at him. Jack's arm snaked under Delilah and his hand pulled her long tangled locks free from her hair tie.
Threading his fingers through her hair Jack rubbed his nose against her's and whispered deeply, "I'm sure I can think of somethin'." Delilah giggled and eased her lips over Jack's, their tongues coming out to taste each other in a practiced dance. Flavors of savory turkey meat, salty sweat, and the tang of iron played on Delilah's tongue as she and Jack dipped more and more greedily into each other's mouths. The ball of warmth inside Delilah grew hotter as Jack nipped at her plump lower lip. She moaned and lifted her leg to straddle his hips, her hands cradling Jack's shaved head.
Delilah could feel the hardness of Jack's desire for her pressing into her inner thigh. Jack's hand left her hair and joined his other hand at her hips. Shifting her slightly to the side, Jack rolled his hips upwards as the heat of her sex aligned with his. Both of them broke their kiss, panting wildly. Delilah nudged Jack's face to the side and began to enact her fantasized assault on his neck. Jack kneaded her hips, panting appreciatively, until Delilah bit down on the sweet spot where his neck met his shoulder.
Jack's breath caught and his hands left her hips to slide into her pants. Delilah wore no small clothes, so when Jack's hands gripped her ass the tips of his fingers brushed her wet sex. Delilah gasped and whimpered into his chest, writhing above him as a desire shot through her like lightening. Jack tugged her up slightly higher on his body, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss as his fingers began to lightly teased her sex with tiny thrusts. "Jack," Delilah breathed his name and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to thrust back onto his fingers. The motions of her body created a delicious friction, but it wouldn't be enough for either of them.
Jack withdrew his hands, much to Delilah's disappointment, and rolled them over so he hovered above her. Jack kneeled up and pulled his tattered shirt off, revealing a body toned from constant exercise and scarce meals. Delilah was busy unbuttoning her vest, exposing the tender flesh of her stomach and pert breasts. Jack caught her hands and pinned them on either side of her head. He kissed her deeply and stretched out over her, being careful to rest most of his weight on his side so he could place his thigh up between her legs and avoid crushing her. Breaking the kiss Jack quietly ordered, "Tilt your head back and don't move your arms." Delilah nodded and did as he commanded, arching her head back so that her throat and breasts lay exposed to him.
Jack ran his rough hands down her arms, ghosting over her aching breasts, and parted her vest. His hands smoothed themselves over her ribs and his mouth began a careful worship of her neck and collar bone. Delilah whimpered and tried to arch further into his body. The slight chill of the morning air in contrast to the heat that Jack's naked chest radiated had her delicate pink nipples tightened into peaks. Jack ignored them, however, his plump lips, sharp teeth, and clever tongue were busy worrying the white flesh of her chest. Jack's hands cupped her back, relieving some of the effort it took her to remain arched. His rough thumbs brushed the side of quivering breasts, but did nothing to alleviate the painful desire her peaked nipples throbbed with.
"Please," Delilah moaned quietly. Jack quickly flicked one nipple with his tongue, then returned to nuzzling the reddening flesh between her breasts. Delilah's whole body quaked, her hips beginning to writhe against his muscled thigh. She wanted to grab his head and force him to suckle away the terrible ache in her neglected buds, but Delilah knew that would not work with Jack. "Please," she moaned again. Jack turned his head and blew cool air across her wet nipple. Delilah's head thrashed from side to side, her breathing erratic, "Please Jack!"
Jack's mouth latched onto her tortured nipple, his tongue swirling around and around it as he suckled greedily. Delilah bit down on her lower lip hard to avoid crying out with pleasure. Jack's hand left her side to dive into her pants, zeroing in on her clit. Delilah cried out before Jack moved his other hand to cover her mouth, muffling the sweet sounds of her mounting pleasure. Jack's rough finger tips circled, flicked, and rubbed at her drenched clit, driving her closer and closer to her peak. Jack gave a final harsh nip to the engorged nipple he'd been suckling and moved to her other neglected breast, causing Delilah to groan loudly under her hand.
Delilah was so close! Her hips struggled to thrust into Jack's wicked fingers, but the leg he positioned between hers forced her to remain still. Delilah arched wildly beneath him as Jack began giving her nipple long slow licks in time to rubbing her clit. The fire built within her, consuming everything in it's path. When the blaze grew too much for her small frame to handle, Delilah called out Jack's name. Jack instantly thrusted two fingers into her pussy and roughly started to withdraw and plunge them back in. Delilah shattered. The walls of her sex clamped down on Jack's fingers and milked them.
Jack continued to thrust his fingers gently in and out of her as she rode out her orgasm, while his mouth tenderly sucked at her abused nipples. Finally, when her hips ceased to struggle and her sex became still, Jack pulled his hand out of her pants. Delilah lay panting beneath him. Opening her eyes when Jack removed his hand from her mouth, Delilah smiled lazily at him. Grinning himself, Jack brushed his lips over hers in a gentle kiss. Sleep came for Delilah now, though she made the effort to stay awake. She reached for his sex, but he moved away from her. "This was your reward," Jack whispered affectionally. Delilah nodded her thanks and flipped over on her stomach to curl into her blankets.
Delilah heard Jack grab his shirt and crawl out of her tent. He would most likely seek out one of the other female runners to find release. It was the group's casual arrangement. Delilah yawned and snuggled into the rough fabric of her blankets, a sated smile on her lips.