Salt was the first thing to assault his senses the moment Hawke set foot on the Wounded Coast. Kirkwall was a city with a harbour but it had a different smell, and taste for that matter, more like stale piss or the copper tinged tang of blood. It was refreshing to be out along the coastline. Of course, the same could not be said for sailors who found their way into the treacherous waters. From his position to the south he could see one of the Wounded Coast's victims crashed on one of the jagged rocks that littered the waters. The ship's mast stuck out at a 45 degree angle, not exactly healthy for a sea vessel.
Several different parties had sent him out this way for a variety of reasons but he had chosen to come here to search for the missing Qunari patrol. It was not his task to find them but after all that had happened with Varnell and the fanatics he could never be too careful. If some fanatics had caught up with the patrol he would rather find them before the Qunari did. The area wasn't too large so it shouldn't take him too long to find the patrol, he should be back in Kirkwall before dinner time! Not that his dinner would be food, no doubt Varric and Isabela would find some reason to give him an all liquid dinner. But he wouldn't complain. He could use a drink with all of the shit going on in Kirkwall.
"You keep staring at me. Is it my eyes again?" His three companions had been constantly nattering since leaving Kirkwall and it appeared it was now Fenris' turn to break the silence. He turned to see that Isabela was indeed staring at the warrior. But she wasn't looking at his mossy green eyes, as far as Hawke could tell.
"You're very lanky, for an elf. I like lanky." He fought the urge to scoff at the pirate's response. Fenris beat both him and Varric to the punch.
"From what I gather, you like a lot of things." The dwarf let out a snort of laughter from Hawke's side.
"Nonsense. But when I see something I like, I go after it."
"I suggest keeping your distance." Hawke observed Fenris adjust the Amell crest at his hip. It seemed the elf hadn't noticed he was even doing it as his hand then drifted to the bright scarlet material tied around his gauntlet. The scrap of material which matched that around Isabela's upper arm.
"Now you're just making it challenging."
"Are you two finished? We have a job to do and I don't plan on spending all night looking for these Qunari." Hawke put on his best authoritative tone but Isabela simply sauntered past, brushing her fingers through his beard.
"Hush, we're on our way." She winked and led the way along the sandy path. All three men couldn't help themselves, all eyes lowered to her backside and Hawke knew full well that Isabela knew.
She held such a power over the three of them and when Hawke had finally given in it had been worth the wait. But it had just been a fling between them, Fenris was the one who had captured his heart and had quite literally loved him and left him. But the man still stayed by his side and Hawke would bring him on every available occassion. He cast a glance back at the man in question to find he was looking no longer at their pirate queen but at Hawke himself. He smiled slightly at the elf and turned to follow Isabela.
Two hundred metres or so down the path the gang had fallen back into their previous formation, Hawke and Varric leading whilst Isabela and Fenris walked behind. They had yet to encounter any signs of the Qunari or, even more surprisingly, any raiders trying to kill them and 'get their stuff' as Isabela would say. If he remembered correctly there was a path down to the left coming up that led to the clearing where he had found Saemus Dumar. He would check that first then circle round back to where he had entered after.
"Psst. I've got some of it written down now."
Varric disappeared from his side but Hawke wasn't too bothered. Whenever he chose to invite Varric and Isabela it was almost a given that the two of them would get up to something. Most of the time he didn't want to know what they were on about, most of it was too dirty even for him!
"Give it here." He heard paper being exchanged between the two and a disapproving sound from the elf.
" 'Her breasts strained against the leather jerkin like two wild stallions corralled against their will.' " The dwarf chuckled, " ' "She pounced—the smooth moves of a jungle cat—and locked her thighs around Donnic's waist. He—' "
"Maybe you should read the rest of it in private."
"I think that's best." The paper was tucked into a pocket and the elf just had to say his mind.
"Aveline will kill you if she ever finds that."
"Oh, Fenris Fenris Fenris.." The pirate purred, no doubt draped over the man's shoulder. "How will she ever find out about it?"
Hawke knew that there was no way Isabela would let this get out, she had her ways of keeping people's mouths shut. Or open, depending on what it was she wanted. He turned to give his friend a playfully disapproving look and found the woman draped over the elf as he had predicted. But she was perfectly happy to stay that way as they walked so he left them to it. The trio behind him were walking slower than the tall mage so as he rounded the corner and found himself confronted by several shades and an abomination they were nowhere to be seen.
Now, Hawke was no stranger to fighting. From Fereldan to Kirkwall he had shed more than his fair share of blood whether it was from bandits or darkspawn. Anything that opposed him would get cut down or zapped into oblivion. But he almost always had somebody by his side. He could hold his own in a fight no problem but when facing a group of enemies it was always best to have somebody fighting by his side. Especially as he was a mage and lacked physical strength in close combat. Fenris and Isabela usually helped him out with that.
He hefted his staff off his back and lifted it into the air, summoning a tempest from above. But the shades just floated through the lightning as if they had barely felt even a tickle. Tempest usually worked so he changed tack, summoning down a firestorm. Fire was his specialty so that should do the trick whilst his companions caught up and rushed into the fray. Several tense moments ticked by and he heard no rushed footsteps, no rallying shouts.
"Varric? Isabela? Fenris?!" He couldn't look around him, he didn't want to take his eyes off of the enemies rapidly approaching him.
"So what duties did you have? As a slave, I mean?" Really? They were having a pointless chat now?!
"Not this again." That's it Fenris, come and help. Fast!
He could feel his mana draining too fast, only one shade had gone down and that abomination was causing him immense trouble. The stone fist spell threw it backwards but didn't down him permanently.
"I heard that Tevinter slaves are kept oiled so they glisten. Did your master oil you up? Did you glisten for him?"
Such conversation did not do well to keep his mind on the job at hand. He has seen the broody elf naked, spent much time touching the broody elf when he was naked. The image of him all oiled up was almost too much to handle. It distracted him from his spell so a second blast of firestorm was interrupted.
"I was his bodyguard."
Always close at hand. Always within reach. Glistening." The images were getting too much now, another two shades fell but he should have taken them all down by now.
"You have an entire story written in your head already, don't you?"
"Mmm."
"Oh, Rivaini, you are such a naughty girl." Varric's laughter sounded around the shade's cries, they were getting closer to him.
The abomination was the last to fall with a well-aimed fireball. Hawke stepped over the smoldering corpse and strode up to his companions who had just appeared on the scene.
"How did you not hear all of that?! The shades and abomination who took out our Qunari patrol nearly took me out! Whilst you imagined Fenris naked and oiled up!" He was shouting at Isabela mainly but she just smirked back at him, resting her hand on her hip.
"I never said naked, Hawke. Were you having trouble keeping your mind on the task?" She pouted teasingly. "Poor Hawke, can't keep his thoughts clean."
Varric chipped in with laughter whilst the slightest blush tinged Fenris' cheeks, something he had never seen before. Hawke just growled in annoyance and stalked back to loot the bodies.
"Take their stuff and let's head back to the docks."
So, this is based on what happened to me last night. I was playing DA2, as I have been for about the past two weeks every night, I will openly admit that I am addicted. And I love it! Anyway, I am playing through Act 2 and was headed out to the Wounded Coast to do a few quests I had gathered. Now, I don't know about anybody else but I love turning around to read what my companions are saying to each other as I find the sounds can be a bit screwy. Fenris and Isabela started speaking and then a bunch of raiders appeared, but they kept going! So I was desperate to read it as I didn't think I'd heard it before whilst fighting. This little idea popped into my head just after, so I hope you enjoyed it!