Chapter Two: "Captain" Isabela

Two hours later, we raced through Lowtown to the docks. Stealth was out of the question given the pandemonium going on around us. Though the initial fighting was already over, a few surviving mages were still resisting the Templars and ever other turn was blocked by rubble or fire. Hawke had packed but a small bag of things: a pendant of his mother's with the twins' pictures inside, a rare book or two on magic, the documents proving his Amell lineage and finally as much gold as he could squeeze into the remaining space. He was ever the optimist, hoping one day we could return to Kirkwall and he could reclaim his family home. I didn't wish to hurt him, so I remained silent when he'd explained what he was taking and why. Often Hawke could hope enough for the both of us.

'Fenris!' He yelled out suddenly, causing me to skid to a stop. His staff outcast he threw up a barrier, just as a lightning bolt was about to strike.

'Fasta vass.' I grumbled, pulling my blade free of my back. 'Hawke, get to the docks.'

'I'm going nowhere.' He smirked, waving his hand to drop the barrier.

I rushed forward, lyrium illuminating what fire did not. As Hawke hurled an icebolt I skidded out the way and brought my blade up. The mage dodged the bolt, but it propelled him straight into my blade's path. Cloth does nothing to protect against a warrior's strength, he was dead before he hit the ground. Hawke came over as the blade was pulled from the corpse's shoulder, he was lamenting the front of my armour.

'We just cleaned you off.'

'I use a blade.' I retorted. 'I am bound to be covered in blood more oft than not. Now come on.'

I grabbed his hand and together we made for the waterfront again. Though I loved the man desperately, sometimes Hawke needed to be more serious. As I felt his fingers entwine with my own I chided myself. No, it was Hawke's cheeriness that brought us to him. We creatures of the shadows, nothing but masses of guilt, sorrow and regret, drawn to him like moths to a flame. A little pull, just to make him run level with me, and I caught a glance of the red about my wrist. A smile bloomed on my lips.


The ship was impressive, you had to give Isabela that. Three years she had been renovating the old vessel into something of beauty, and now it was. The pale wood's lacquer shone in the dying light of the sun, and its glass as bright and clear as stars. She'd even had time to find and mount a figurehead upon the bow, which if you looked closely the elven woman had Dalish markings carved and painted into her cheeks and forehead.

'Ahoy, there!'

A call made us look up. What greeted us was Isabela, leaning over the rail with a tri-cornered hat on. She was more than aware of her two girls trying to jump ship in this position, but did nothing to correct it. I turned my gaze to ensure Hawke was still in one piece.

'Permission to come aboard, Izzy?!' He hollered.

'That's Captain Izzy to you, land-walker!' She laughed and then snapped her fingers, ordering the gangplank be lowered.

'Hawke, I don't think Orlais heard you both.' I hissed, he returned it with a boyish grin.

Once we were aboard, the gangplank was pulled back once again. The ship seemed even bigger once stood on her deck. The last time I'd been on a ship properly - without going back and forth the Gallows with Hawke - had been when I'd sailed from Llomerryn to Kirkwall. Picking an island hadn't been a wise choice when chased by slavers, but I'd hoped it would throw them off. It didn't, so I thought to lose myself in a trade city. Then I'd met Hawke. Isabela's ship was decidedly nicer than the one I'd taken to Kirkwall, it didn't seem to have any rats and the sailors didn't gaze at me like a woman without a skirt on.

'Welcome aboard The Eluvian Princess.' She said, arms stretched wide and rather pleased with herself. 'We're heading for Fereldan as our first stop, my darlings. Anywhere I can drop you off? Or am I to add a handsome apostate and gorgeous elf to my crew roster?'

'Denerim, if you don't mind.' Hawke chuckled.

'Ah, my old hangout.' Isabela smiled and placed a hand to her chin in mock-thought. 'I wonder if Zevran's back there yet.'

'If he is, keep him busy.' I intoned. It wasn't hard to remember the flirtatious rogue and his wandering gaze.

'Oh don't worry, my dear Fenris, I will.' She winked and then added: 'Speaking of love. On my ship loving is encouraged; the louder, the better. And since we just all survived a near-death experience, I expect to hear it at least twice daily.'

'We'll keep that in mind.' Hawke chuckled. I rolled my eyes to which he grinned. 'Nolite solliciti Fenris, nos expectare. Volo omnes Fereldan audi nos.'

I laughed, but turned it into a cough when I caught Isabela narrowing her eyes in delight. 'Aha, we shall see.'

Her gaze snapped to Hawke.

'Ooo, he's teaching you Tevene in the bedroom?' She cooed. 'How enlightening. Tell me Hawke, is it you or Fenris who plays the Magister? Does he like a little role-reversal?'

'Enough.' I brought a hand up to silence her, trying to ignore the fact my cheeks were burning. None of what she implied was true, it was just embarrassing to hear her suggest such things.

'I have my answer.' She replied in a sing-song voice. With that she turned to go to her wheel; boot-heels clacking on the deck and hips swaying like a boat on the tide. 'Your cabin is below deck, I took the liberty of labelling it for you.'

Though I often got on with Isabela, there were times when I wanted to punch her. Before I could even clench my fist, the mage to my right demanded my attention with a yawn.

'I need a lie down.' He stretched, looking down to me out the corner of his eye. 'And we never got to cuddle, what with all that imminent death and all.'

I smirked.


Below deck we found a mess hall, a library that doubled as Isabela's study and finally the guest cabins. Our getting lost I blame entirely on Hawke. The man has a strange sense of checking every room even when we know exactly where to go, which often leads me to wonder if Malcolm dropped him on his head as a child. Our rooms were labelled by a piece of parchment trapped in the door-frame. Since all were still there, it seemed we were the first to arrive.

'Go on, Fenris.' Hawke nudged me with his shoulder. 'You read it.'

I coughed into my fist and looked at the elegant scrawl. Isabela's handwriting was much more difficult to read than Hawke's, her letters curling and spiralling in ways I had not been taught they could. It took me a moment to recognise the lines and curves, the swipes and strokes. But eventually it became clear to me, mostly.

'Hawke and-' I then shook my head.

'Broody.' He chuckled, turning to look at the other doors. 'I can read "Daisy" from here.' He wandered off down the hall, calling back to me. 'Ah here's "Red plus one, just in case". Oh and "Shorty and Bianca".'

'You missed one.' I pointed to the cabin at the very end.

'Didn't see that one.' He shrugged and walked over to it.

'Well?'

Something about Hawke changed. His form tensed, so I moved to him and slid my fingers into his. I looked at the parchment until the letters made sense, then I frowned.

Blondie.


Once Merrill was safely onboard, there was a scrabbling on the deck. Sails were opened, rigging tightened and a chorus of a shanty to the Maker, asking for safe passage. As she passed our door, I caught a snippet of Dalish; no doubt a prayer to her Gods for luck. I doubted Merrill had even been on a boat for an extended period of time. There was a lurch as the boat finally pushed off, we were finally getting free of Kirkwall. I only hoped what lay ahead was a better option.

Hawke and I were laying in bed, finally allowing ourselves to relax. Aboard The Eluvian Princess there was nothing we could do, save maybe help the crew once we were rested. You can't run or hide when you're at sea, and without pursuers we had no reason to fight. I curled myself tighter around Hawke, trying to ease his still-tense form.

'Fen, are you asleep?' He tried to look over his shoulder at me.

I shifted my face a little, his long hair tickling my nose. 'Thinking about it.'

'Does it bother you?' He wriggled and rolled over in my arms. He wore a look of concern, not anger.

'That the abomination is aboard? That he used and upset you? That he dared to confess his love in front of me?' I growled through gritted teeth. 'Yes.'

'Fen-'

'I'm not mad with you.' I pulled his head to my shoulder and stroked his ebon locks. 'It's him I wish to end. Even putting my jealousy aside, he upsets you and that infuriates me.'

'He said he'd stay away.' Hawke sighed and I felt everything in him release. 'So long as he keeps his promise, I'll be ok.'

I said nothing, just letting him drift off in my arms. Nuzzling my nose into his hair I tried to unwind myself. There was, however, the grim truth that we were all on a finite ship floating in the sea for almost a week. The chances of bumping into Anders were very likely, unless he chose to live in his cabin for five days straight. The idea of nailing his door shut was getting more appealing by the second.


TRANSLATIONS (non-canon phrases done by Google Translate, so no doubt very poorly).

1) Fasta vass. = *a curse word*

2) Nolite solliciti Fenris, nos expectare. Volo omnes Fereldan audi nos. = Don't worry Fenris, we'll wait. I want all of Fereldan to hear us.