A Cure for All Ills

The Champion is ill due a fever that keeps her in bed for days. Isabela keeps her on her toes and 'nurtures' her back to health. Lady Hawke/Isabela

Qunari are bothersome creatures.

They're tall, muscular and all together rather intimidating - even for me, and I've fought many creatures that are far more superior than the rather inferior strength of the qunari.

Because what is a qunari compared to demons and magic? Something that I am far too familiar with? Something I know like I know that tomorrow is Tuesday. Something that comes to me without me even thinking about it. Magic.

Magic is apparently not good enough to cure fevers. It's hardly my fault that magic won't cure a simple fever, yet it can heal a comatose man from his near death-like state; because all this nonsense about Andraste's ashes is as ridiculous as the thought of Carver actually being 'thoughtful' for a change.

And despite what mother says, me getting this fever is not by my own doing - if only Isabela had moved an inch further then I wouldn't have to save her arse every single time I turn around to see if she's alright.

I do that with Varric and Aveline too. And Merril. And Anders. Even Fenris! Sometimes Carver, it depends on how irritating his being that day.

Still, that qunari blade was nothing that I couldn't handle, I mean I've had worse than that and I've always been able to get through these scrapes with nothing life-threatening happening afterwards.

Like catching a damn fever once the person you saved helps you limp back to your estate where your mother has already got towels out, hot water ready along with heaps and heaps of covers for your bed to keep you nice and comfortable when you're faced with such a dramatic injury.

Cake as well is apparently a useful thing to keep on hand just in case your daughter comes home injured - my mother works in strange, mysterious ways that I'll no doubt will never be able to understand.

Still…I owed Isabela my life for getting me back to my estate in time. I've never seen someone kill so fast in my life, along with getting me back with the help of Varric and Fenris (who I can vaguely remember me kicking a few times in anxiety and panic) to top it all off.

Isabela may have been (partly) the one who got me into such a state, but despite her nature of getting me into serious trouble; she always knew a way to get me out of it.

I woke up to sun in my eyes, along with a parched throat that begged eagerly for water by making a dry coughing noise to try and rouse someone's attention.

Water comes instantly; but by whom I do not know. Whoever it is then they are a kind soul, though logically I suppose the only one who wouldn't actually mind giving me water would be Mother - logically if it was Carver then he would place it on the floor and most likely tell me to go search for the glass of water with a blindfold on, the loveable bastard he is.

"Thank you," I murmured with a nod of my head, turning my face to the side to try and shield my eyes away from the light. "My throat has never felt so parched in my life."

"Is that so?" The familiar voice makes me start and without thinking I sit up straight in my bed, eyes wide at the face that is in front of me right now at the end of my bed.

"Isabela!" I growled angrily, not because I'm embarrassed at having Isabela here when I'm half-naked but because I've been caught unaware by her and that is not something I promised myself would happen around her. "Who allowed you into my room? My estate?"

The former pirate merely smiled at me with that cunning glint in her eye; that glint I've always admired and feared at the same time. Isabela is clever and she knows it too - intelligence is a weapon many do not have the power to wield and if wielded correctly, it can be dangerous.

"It was your dear mother, in fact," Isabela said with another smirk and a wink, twirling an earring around the index of her finger with grace; practically oozing confidence. "Lovely woman, gave me some of her cakes. Lovely."

I try hard not to scoff. "As if cakes were the only thing you were after, smuggler."

She hated me calling her that for the reason that she was a former captain (a pirate) and therefore, she wants to still be known as one and while she isn't as bitter as to be expected; she still hates being known as a common smuggler.

But still her smile doesn't waver, instead she moved further up my bed until I can smell the faint perfume she wears that overpowers me sometimes in the heat of battle; the scent mingling with sweat is almost intoxicating to me and still the thought of Isabela towering over me is something I am unsettled about.

I tilt my head up high in an attempt to show the former captain that I'm still in charge, in spite of our positions and how it is obvious to even a blind man that I am theoretically whipped.

"Listen smuggler," I said again, more vicious than the first time. "I do not appreciate you coming into my room without my knowledge and so, I ask you to leave!"

"Now kitten," Isabela cooed with her finger swiping just under my chin in a teasing manner. "That is no way to greet your saviour, alas I think you're forgetting that I was the one who dragged you back here!"

I am aware of this, but I do not want her here when I'm unprepared! It has always been my way to dominate over others and I will not be made a fool of in front of this swashbuckling, piece of…I'm not sure there is even a word to describe how I think and feel about Isabela at this moment in time!

"I said leave!" I commanded once more with fire in my eyes; not noticing that the door to my room has opened while I've been thinking up ways to annoy the former captain from leaving my room.

"My dear!" Another voice called me away from Isabela's face and instead pulls it upwards to stare into the eyes of my shocked mother; this leads to my face heating up like a tomato at how my mother has caught me practically yelling at my so-called-saviour. I may be a woman now, but she still is my mother and for her to see me like this is downright humiliating.

"Where are your manners, young lady? Isabela was the one who brought you home after that disastrous attack with the qunari!" My mother is a woman who is abrasive due to my father dying three years ago, but still she is a gentle woman at heart and for her to reprimand me is something rare indeed. "Isabela - that's your name, isn't it dear? - has been by your bedside since the attack and by Maker, you will give her some respect!"

My mother is evil. Though that bit of news is astounding. Isabela, by my bedside since the attack against the qunari? How very suspicious.

I give the pirate captain a sceptical look, unable to trust Isabela when she wears a smile with such cunning it makes a shiver run up and down my spine. "And you didn't have anything better to do?"

Isabela just cocked her head towards me, something that I've grown familiar with now that I understand what her movements actually mean now. Sort of. It's still hard to catch on sometimes, especially when I feel as if she wants something from me - which is mostly all the time.

"Well…" Isabela started with a cluck of her tongue, evidently enjoying herself at being able to be so close to me; where she knew she was not wanted. "I was in town and wandering near the estates, so I generally thought I should come visit you for a while."

"Canard was out at the time," Mother whispered slowly with a hint of a frown that clearly tells me that our neighbour has done something to upset her. "He recognized your friend as the woman who outplayed him at Wicked Grace. Started chasing her down the alleyways near our estate."

I hide my smile by coughing behind my hand, eyes locking with Isabela's amber orbs to try once more at figuring the former pirate captain out.

Isabela is a striking woman, so it doesn't surprise me how I seem to falter slightly under her over-confident gaze; something which I'm sure is just an act after many hours of observing her (when she's awake, thank you).

"Good thing your mother recognized me, eh?" She lifted her gaze up at my mother, flashing a winning smile that of course leaves my mother practically enraptured by it. "Otherwise Canard would have had my head up on his wall."

"I thank you for checking up on me," I say with a tone that betrays my words, scathing and thoughtless. "But as you can tell I'm fine and I would like for you to leave me in…argh!"

Coughing fits are not a good thing to have when you're trying to tell someone to piss off; no, they genuinely are the worse thing to have when telling someone to piss off - it's almost laughable at how unwanted they are.

"Aha! It seems you need me more than you wish!" Isabela laughed once more and I'm graced with her hands whacking me roughly on the back to 'help' my coughs. "A saviour once more, what else do you need me to do my champion? Run you a bath?"

Despite that I'm coughing myself to near death, I stand my ground and throw an icy glare in her direction before letting my glare settle on my mother - who has just now decided that my coughing is worth her attention, bustling over to give me another drink of water.

"I said I'm…" But once more my coughing has given me the disadvantage of not being able to finish my sentences - a completely irritating feature of being wounded and ill.

"Isabela dear," My mother turns to the former captain, her tone already setting off warning bells in my head, because when did my mother refer to Isabela as 'dear'? This is surely a bad sign. "There is a well in the gardens, right at the back of the estate. Would you mind filling up a tub with some water for me?"

Isabela gave a mocking salute and bows, shooting me a fiendish smile as she left my room in a run; the sight is enough to make my stomach churn uncomfortably and when she leaves I clench down harder on the covers of my bed - willing myself to remain steady.

"You're in bad shape," my mother muttered with a little chuckle as she pressed a wet cloth to the wound just near my ribs, causing a growl to escape my lips at the pressure. "It's a good thing Isabela was there to get you home."

"Varric and Fenris was there too!" I argued back with another growl when in return my mother presses down harder onto my wound. "Not giving them any recognition?"

Instead I receive another blow to my head; something I have grown up with due to my sharp tongue that has already caused me and my companions to get into more fights than necessary.

I vowed the moment I got slashed by that qunari commander's blade that I would not let such a thing happen again.

"Smart tongue, slow brain." My mother remarked casually, removing one wet cloth to replace it with another but this time on my face in an attempt to cool the fever down. "However will you get a husband with such qualities?"

"If you can do it, so can I." I retorted with a roll of my eyes, regretting it instantly. Ah, sharp tongue once more getting me into trouble. But still I continued. "As If I wanted a husband in the first place. I have no time for men, at all."

In response my mother gives me a subtle little grin, pointedly removing her gaze towards the open window where I could just about see Isabela chatting with a neighbour of ours that wasn't Canard.

I understand the intent of her amused eyes and scoffed with a well-earned stony glower, because this is getting ridiculous on how everyone thinks I share feelings for Isabela when truly, I do not.

"She's an interesting companion," I said in what I hope to be a calm manner, even tilting my head up slightly to feign disinterest on the whole subject. "However, there is no reason for you to think I have any claims on her."

I even wave my hand to signal towards Carver's room (where he's most likely sulking, I've heard his brilliant at it when I don't take him out around Kirkwall) with an amused smirk gracing my features. "Hell, even Carver can have her if he likes. I heard she goes for even moody arseholes like him!"

"No speaking of your brother that way!" My mother responded with a look that showed so much hurt that I immediately looked down into my lap in shame. "He's…not coping so well without Bethany."

The anger and frustration I'd been feeling a few moments dispersed quickly at my mother's injured, bitter eyes and the compulsion to hug her is almost an overwhelming power that I bite down with a sigh.

I've never been overly affectionate before, not even towards the ones I love and that is not going to change now - so I ignore the feeling and instead stare at my door and will for Isabela to come back faster.

Willing apparently works, because as soon as my eyes have settled on my door Isabela has returned and is by my bedside in an instance; eyes bright and cheery (and overall, very suspicious-looking).

And as if it was planned, my mother got up from my bed and turned to whisper something to the pirate, leaving shortly once she notices that my glare is not improving and is in fact getting worse. She knew very well I despised secrets, as well as surprises; yet she already planned one right under my nose and with Isabela, of all people!

"And why are you still here?" I snarled once Mother has left me alone with this plague of a woman who kept tormenting me with her ability of making my stomach stir and twist in a difficult way I don't wish to comprehend. "You've done my mother's chores, what else could you want from me?"

Isabela feigned a yawn at my antagonism, choosing to ignore it like she always did whenever I snapped at her. "Kitten, you have a very cold soul. Your mother suggested that you take a bath to warm you up a little. Besides," the insipid pirate even chose to shoot me a sly smile at that point, fuelling my irritation. "You're starting to smell."

"What?" I yelled in answer, feeling undignified and outraged at such a suggestion being made towards me; angry enough that I even try and rush out of my bed to try and grab at the pirate. "You take that back! Y-you worthless, little-!"

And as usual, that's the time where my wounds start to pang and grow even more painful than before and soon I've got my head in between my legs; shivering as cold sweat travels down my spine.

"Cur? Whore? I've heard them all darling," Isabela spoke again and once more I'm wishing hard for her words to stop, at this time they're just too confusing and startling and it does more than just confuse me - it terrified me as well. "Now come on, I promised your mother I'd help you into the tub."

I grumbled when I felt her hands under my arms, but what choice do I have? She'd already seen me half naked trying to bandage my wounds, there's no point trying to deny her at looking at my body if she's already seen the damn thing now is there?

I felt even weaker at the caress of her arms lugging me across the floor towards the tub at the far end of the wall; again another reason to not feel completely comfortable around her. I was fine with her seeing my body; I just prayed that she would not touch it.

"Alright, now that I've managed to get you to the damn thing," Isabela muttered breathily, planting me firmly onto a side table with a sigh. "You'll have to heat it up yourself with those magic fingers of yours."

Is this woman serious? I can barely yell at her without causing for my body to flop and for my energy to give out; how am I supposed to heat some water with my magic without triggering disastrous effects on my body?

I decide to voice my concern, knowing that it would go unheard. "Do you wish for me to die? I barely have enough energy to stand! How do you expect me to heat up the water?"

Isabela folded her arms at me, allowing another wave of exasperation to swallow me whole in its infuriating grasp. "Well, a cold bath it is then. You do need one after all."

My head snapped up, eyes ablaze with fury at the implication. "What are you implying?"

Isabela threw her head back to laugh, "You take things too seriously!" As I've said before, she's a strange woman and keeps me on my toes in more ways than one. "Get undressed! Quick! Be sharp! I have an appointment of Wicked Grace later on with Varric and it cannot be missed!"

I hate being ordered around, yet I feel my body move on its own accord and soon I'm stripping away the bandages and clothes that linger on my body like soft feathers; easy to brush away with nothing but a whisper of a touch.

"If you're so eager to get away from me," I snap once I've removed all my clothes and toss them behind me with a grunt. "Then why are you still here?"

"To frustrate you of course!" Isabela answered with another laugh, placing a hand on my arm to help me into the tub - which is of course, freezing. "Sit down! And I'll get the soap!"

"No need," I murmured as I sat down, feeling something that I guess to be the soap hit me firmly on my back. "It's behind me."

An idea hits me at that moment, something deliciously cunning that would get me back in the game of holding the dominance that I usually held no matter the situation; even when Isabela got particularly feisty.

"So it is! Well, not including all the lovely things I've already done for you, kitten." I smiled secretly at her words, knowing that soon she would find none. "You now have the privilege of me washing you! Feel overjoyed!"

"Oh I do," I whispered deviously, eyes lighting up and the magic energy that I've kept on the low for a few hours seeping out through my fingertips and into the water that surrounded me. "I've never had anything as great as this happen to me."

Silence at first as I waited for Isabela to dip her hand into the tub to retrieve the soap from behind me, I wait and wait until I actually turned my head to acknowledge Isabela's amber hues with a wary look. "Well? Are you going to wash me or not?"

Her smile is secretive, shady almost; the sight of it is enough to make me shiver and turn away - it's always been made known to me that I should never stare at a woman for so long, otherwise you're considered rude and perverted.

Which I'm not.

And then the soap is on my back; it startled me enough that the hot water from the tub splashed me in the face when my knees buckled upwards.

"So you did have enough energy," Isabela commented nonchalantly, but the calmness in her voice still did not reassure me. "How sweet of you to warn about the temperature change."

The soap slid from her hands and dropped back into the hot water that I bathed in, nevertheless soon the soap was replaced with her hands; once more causing me to shudder.

"Kitten?" She's concerned about me? I find it hard to believe. She wanted something from me, I just can't figure out what it is just yet. When I do though, she'll leave. Hopefully.

"Your hands are cold," I replied honestly, still shivering from my chest being exposed in the cold breeze and how Isabela's hands don't seem to help. Neither do I wish to be known as her 'kitten' either. "And quit calling me that! I'm not a pet! I don't purr!"

"Not yet," Isabela chuckled dryly and I feel as if she's accepted a challenge that I did not even offer her. "But soon you will my kitten! Until then, stay still as I wash your back."

I decided that maybe whining about Isabela was possibly the thing making her stay, so logically I shut up enough that an unearthly silence fell between us; something which was not common between Isabela and me.

"You're quieter than usual," and still I can't help myself. I find the urge to talk to her, for her to talk to me, for her to listen to me and for me to listen to her. It's horrible once I think about it. "Is there anything troubling you?"

"I was waiting for something, that's all." Isabela responded with a playful tone, doing nothing but succeeding in confusing me even more. "I did help you get-"

"Thank you." The stiffness in my reply is most likely not lost on her, but that is the best she's ever going to get out of me. I do owe her, I'm not a fool enough not to know that, nevertheless if she thinks I'm going to confess my guts out then she is sorely mistaken.

"You're welcome!" The soap dropped into the tub and before I can finally get used to the water, I'm being picked up from under my arms by the former captain; a large cloth draped over my head. "Now you're spick and span and you don't smell as if you've rolled out of a dung patch! Maybe you'll be able to get some more sleep now."

"I do not appreciate being treated like-" I started to protest, but even then I'm cut off by Isabela's hands twisting and rubbing the large, scratchy cloth everywhere over my head. "Argh! Stop it Isabela! I can rub my own hair!"

"But the ill need to be cherished with affection! And hair rubbing is merely a part of such affection my champion!" And soon after her words, the cloth is thrown off my head and is being patted all around my body; my chest, the skin under my breasts, my thighs…

"Grabbing my arse is another sort of affection," I remarked guardedly, shifting my head so that my long hair covered my face; to hide my blush. "Keep your hands where I can see them, smuggler."

"Bit hard to do that darling," and then before I can yell at her some more, she actually slapped my bottom! Slapped it! "You're sort of facing the wrong way, and who knows what my hands will get up to?"

"This is sexual harassment! A perversion of my personal space!" I growled throatily with red cheeks, spinning around on the spot to glare at the former captain. "You told me that you would never force someone into doing something they didn't want and yet!" I couldn't finish my sentence, I was that aggravatingly roused by her it made my tongue seem to swell up inside my mouth - robbing me of speech.

So instead I merely asked: Why?

She didn't answer verbally, choosing instead to rest her hands on my hips (soft, gentle, remarkable) and to tilt my head forward with the pad of her thumb; her lips barely grazing my cheek before she pulled back with another smug grin on her face.

Of course, I glow red and seriously start to contemplate whether I should practice my blood magic on Isabela sometimes; maybe that'd shut her up.

"Just give it time kitten, you'll be back on your feet in no time!" Isabela then mockingly saluted at me, turning to waltz out of my room with a smug wave. "I'll see you tomorrow! After I've won Varric's brother's WHOLE business at Wicked Grace. Enjoy your time without me, kitten."

What happened then was one of those moments where you think of an excellent comeback a few seconds too late.

"I will!" I roar once Isabela is out of my door, stomping my foot in such a childish way that I'm glad she chose to close the door after she left.

"And Andraste's flaming sword! I'm not a KITTEN!"

Just a reminder to everyone: I do not yet know Isabela's character that well so therefore I have no idea if she'd act like this I'm afraid. ;_; I just really wanted some Lady Hawke/Isabela fiction and I couldn't find any. So, I made it up myself. Besides, Isabela looks interesting.

Can you tell I'm going to rivalry romance her? ;)

I haven't done Dragon Age fiction for a while; apologies if I suck hard at it. Also yes, shamelessly stole the title from a Merlin's episode. XD I had no idea what to call this fiction, so I apologize! :P