The night was foreboding with a storm brewing, the tension of the air matched the two hooded figures as the moved quickly through the streets. The largest of the pair reached a shadowed building first, knocking sharply a strange pattern out. After a few tense moments for the pair the door unlatched, they quickly pushed the door open and slipped in quickly locking it behind them.
"Were you followed?" demanded the female elf, the largest removed his hood.
"No, we made sure of it, no one will notice that they are missing for sometime." Bann Trevelyan answered, Athenril nodded sharply before signalling her men.
"I wish we could say, please come again, but this is a huge risk for us all." Athenril spoke quickly, as the smugglers began moving barrels and crates around.
"Then why help at all, if it is putting your people at risk?" the voice came from the smallest hooded figure.
"Morgana! Now is not the time!" the Bann scolded, but Athenril smiled.
"Smart kid you got there, yeah it would make no sense except for one thing girl. I always pay my debts, your mom patched me up once, so a life for a life." Athenril nodded, towards The Bann who inclined his head.
"We're ready boss, just need to load the girl." A female rouge with a massive long bow interrupted.
"Good, Hawke get her packed up and handed off, then you and I are on the first ship out of here. the longer we are gone the higher the chances we get caught are." Athenril ordered, Hawke nodded and gestured for Morgana to follow.
Sydney glanced at the girl in the cloak, beside the first question the girl was silent. Sydney gestured for her to climb into the barrel, the girl did briefly revealing her face. Hawke scowled at the sight, the bandages covered a lot of down right awful wound. Hawke was the only one here besides Athenril who knew the whole truth, the tower was to be purged after the first enchanter had defended this girl.
This girl had seen her die in front of her, and her life was only going to get harder. Everyone knew that Teryn Cousland and his brother were allies to the mages and wardens, after the brother had been save by the heroes during the blight. The brother had married into the royal family and was helping restore the kingdom, but even the Teryn's power would not save this girl if they did not get her there first.
"Here some trail food and water, and a flask for when you need to piss. Don't get the flasks mixed up." Sydney ordered with a wink, Morgana gave her a weak smile.
"Thank you, I know that you are all taking a large risk for me." Morgana whispered, Sydney smiled.
"I have a kid sister that is like you, a mage, and I will do anything to keep her safe from Templars. So I figure, what is one more cute little girl?" Sydney shrugged, Morgana smiled a bit more before Hawke sealed the Barrel.
Morgana was dozing lightly, trying to stave off the need to drink and the need to use the restroom. Athenril had promised that the journey would only take a few hours before she would be let out, her sense of thirst told her it had been over half a day since her last mouth full of water. Just as she was about to fall into a deeper sleep voices woke her up, and what they were saying filled her with panic.
"I am telling you cap, we have more barrels than we should." A female voice called, Morgana heard boots getting closer.
"You sure it is not just bad packing skills on our supplier's part, Sigrun?" a male voice asked, Morgana could hear them almost on top of her now.
"Yeah, I'm sure, different make and labels, some fool gave us over half a dozen barrels free." Morgana panicked, she was on the wrong ship!
"Crack the barrels open, I don't want any surprises when we meet up with the rest of the fleet." The male voice ordered.
"What if I find any stowaways?" Sigrun asked, the male voice hummed.
"Secure them and bring them to me, if they resist too much put them down. But only as a last resort, might be some scared kid or something." With that one set of boots walked off.
"You gonna come out now our do I have to waste my time cracking the barrel, girl?" Sigrun called, Morgana sighed and called out.
"I would come out, but the barrel is sealed from the out side." Morgana called, she was not going to fight someone who might be an innocent victim.
"Alright curl up as tight as you can, I am going break it open then we go visit Taeris." Morgana complied and a hatchet smashed open the lid.
Morgana climbed out to find a dwarf looking at her, Morgana watched the dwarf. "Come on, Taeris is gonna want to see you before anything else." The dwarf ordered, Morgana nodded and only tensed when her hands were bond before being led out of the hold.
(Two days later.)
Taeris stood at the prow of his ship 'the owl's roost' watching the other ship glide into the cove, they had been gathered to discuss this seasons raiding plan. Now though, Taeris had another matter to bring up. Taeris watched as Isabela and Silva were rowed over with a ten-year-old girl sitting on the brow of the longboat.
"You brought your kid with you to discuss raiding plans?" Taeris asked when the trio got on deck, Amethyne smiled at him.
"Hello uncle Taeris!" she cheerfully called, Taeris looked at her flatly. "I mean permission to come aboard captain Taeris?" Taeris smiled.
"Yes runt you may, did your mama ever get around to teaching you the rest of the basic first aid?" Taeris asked, Amethyne smiled proudly as she nodded.
"Good, go put it to use, there is a girl down in my cabin that needs her bandages changed. As good as my lieutenant is I am sure a younger touch will be nicer, and mind your manners around her, she has had a rough go of life but she is going to be part of my crew from now on." Taeris ordered, Amethyne nodded and ran to find his lieutenant to get the med kit her qunari guard following close behind.
Morgana looks over at the door as it starts open. She expects Taeris to enter, or at least the dalish mage who had been tending her. She doesn't expect a little elven girl carrying a med kit to come instead, The girl carefully closes the door before smiling at Morgana.
"Hello, I'm Amethyne. Uncle Taeris asked me to change your bandages, if that is all right." The young girl says politely. Morgana's eyes widen, as she recognizes what was just said to her as the same thing as the soul mark that ran down the length of her left arm.
"Hello Amethyne I'm Morgana and I believe that we are soulmates." Morgana replies causing a look of confusion to appear on Amethyne's face before the elven smiles as she jumps up and down squealing with glee.
"Silva! Your kid is making an awful lot of noise for someone tending to another." Sigrun remarks, as she climbs the stairs out of the hold.
"You catch anything useful, or just screaming?" Taeris called from his spot by the prow, Sigrun shrugs.
"Lady Amethyne has just found her soulmate it is." Cutler announces, as he came onto the deck making Taeris choke on his tea.
"What!?" Silva screeched, as Taeris and Isabela fall to the deck howling with laughter.
"Velanna! Remind me to send a thank you fruit basket to those smugglers!" Taeris calls to his lieutenant, who rolls her eyes but smiles slightly.
"Does this mean that you are finally cracking out the good stuff boss?" Sigrun asked, Taeris looked at her for a moment.
"Fine, take howe and Velanna and grab a good cask of mead and have howe pick out some wine, the boy may have a stick up his arse most days but he knows his wine." Taeris called, Sigrun smiled and bolted down the stairs.
"I thank you for that amazing compliment captain." Howe called in a dry tone, Taeris looked at him.
"Howe, the day you loosen up like Velanna is the day I will stop saying that." Taeris remark, Howe just smirked and shook his head following the women down into the hold.
"Well, now what are you going to do Tae?" Isabela asked, Taeris looked at Silva wickedly.
"Now I steal my sister's kid, I am going to need to train her up. I am not letting my newest crew member badgering me about her soulmate, and if Amethyne is here she earns her keep." Taeris said simply, Silva smirked.
"Oh, Leliana is going to kill me when I return without her gem, so make sure to pay me well brother dear." Silva sassed, Isabela laughed wishing that Hawke had been here but she was off smuggling a mage kid.
"Wait till Hawke hears this she will be sorry she missed this!" Isabela laughed, as the cask was brought up.
Down below the deck, a pair of newly bonded girls sat on a large bed. A little elven girl and her older mage soulmate, small elven hand gentle treated the wounds on the mage. With glee in her heart young Amethyne tenderly tended Morgana's wounds, all while vowing that she would never let something like this happen to her mage again. Unknow to the elf Morgana was also making a vow to protect her new found soulmate.
"Do you think your parents and uncle will approve of us?" Morgana asked, she had yet to get a good read on Taeris.
"Mama, and mother will be happy for me and you, Uncle Taeris well he will act gruff but will be happy." Amethyne responded, Morgana wished she share the hope about Taeris.
"I don't know your uncle is hard to read, I can't tell why he offered me a spot on his crew." Morgana confessed, voice from the doorway spoke.
"I believe I can answer that." Taeris remarked, as he closed the door with a foot as his hands were full carrying a tray.
"The crew heard the brat's squealing, then her body guard filled us in." Taeris explained as he approached the bed.
"brought you some treats, no alcohol though both of you are far too young for that." Taeris told them, placing the tray on the bedside table.
"I brought you on to my crew girl for a number of reasons, main one is you did not cower before me and you have a lot of potential. I am not letting that go to waste, the circles would chain your talent where here I can teach you a lot. Also I am no fan of the Templars as a mage myself, and I am not about to turn another mage over to people who won't be able to train you." Taeris stated before starting to leave.
Pausing at the door he turned to Amethyne. "brat before your mother leave in two days, have your gear brought over and get settled in the crew quarters. Starting when we ship out, you will be part of my crew and on shift I am not you uncle I am your captain. Enjoy your night, Morgana, Amethyne no sex or anything beyond some light kissing and cuddling until your eighteen for sex and sixteen for making out. Amethyne's age not your Morgana." With that Taeris left the pair alone.