Chapter 3
I awoke and stretched, our mission last night was only petty thefts. I don't know why we've been sent to Ferelden if we are just going to do a little thieving, surely its something we could have done just as easily in Orlais. I will have to voice my opinions to Marjolaine. I opened the door and smelling breakfast walked down the hall to the kitchen.
"Good morning." I said cheerily. Sketch waved, Tug grunted, as usual, but Marjolaine got up and went into her room only sparing me a hateful look.
"Well what got shoved up her but?" Tug asked then with a chuckle added " Other than what normally gets shoved up there." Sketch chuckled and I trued unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle. Marjolaine was already angry at me and now I was making it worse by laughing at her. I will have to apologize.
"Little Leliana here told Miss Marjolaine off last night." Sketch smiled triumphantly at me. My stomach turned.
"Well its about sodding time someone did!" Tug exclaimed raising a glass. I rolled my eyes at his drinking ale this early.
"Yes, well, I should go talk to her." I said turning towards her room.
"Without breakfast?" Sketch sounded a little concerned. I looked over my shoulder and smiled weakly.
"I'm afraid if I have anything I might up heave it in just a moment." Then I continued to Marjolaine's door. I knocked. "Marjolaine? May I come in?" I heard her sigh.
"If you must." So I opened the door and shut it quietly behind me. I stared at her still with my back pressed up against the door, I didn't feel welcome like I had so many times before. She was sitting at a writing desk working on some papers.
"So that is why you've been holed up in your room, your working on papers." I said trying to make conversation.
"You know very well that is not why I've been holed up here, as you put it." I could feel the hatred in her expression without even having to see her face.
"I-I was just-"
"I know what you were trying to do." She interrupted.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you last night, I was out of line. I shouldn't belittle you in front of the others because we all need to have respect for you. Its just hard to-to be with you and not be treated as an equal." I admitted.
She sighed and turned around. Seeing my face her expression softened and she sighed. "I know it is My Pretty Thing." She stood up and I smiled a little at the use of her name for me. Se moved to her bed and patted for me to sit next to her. Graciously I accepted this attempt to make me feel less of a stranger. "I know you all too well, Leliana, this is why I know that something must be bothering you, that is the only time you act out like you have." I looked away embarrassed for my actions. "So tell me what is troubling your pretty little head?"
I sighed. I might as well tell her now. "Marjolaine, why are we here in Ferelden?"
"What do you mean? We are here for the usual game of course."
"Well then what was the point of coming here? We coul;d have just played the game in Orlais as we usually do."
"Oh, is my pretty thing getting homesick?" She cooed. I stood up and stood across from her.
"Perhaps a little, but Marjolaine, I know we do not usually get informed of our mission until the night of said mission but I cannot help but feel…" I paused at a loss for words. "…Apprehensive about the reasons we are here."
"ah, Pretty Thing, all will be explained in due time." She said cryptically.
"That is the problem!" I shouted. "Sorry," I added quickly, "I did not mean to shout."
"Leliana you should not question your Bard Master" Marjolaine said sternly.
"I know, I am sorry. Forget I said anything."
"Arguments are not so easily forgotten, Leliana, but I will forgive you." I thought I heard her mumble for now under her breath but I ignored it.
"Thank you Marjolaine, you are too gracious."
"I know it, perhaps it is one of my weaknesses." As she said it I knew I was used to this sort of attitude from her but this time it offended me. "So tell me Pretty Thing will you be staying?" She asked gesturing to her bed.
"No, sorry Marjolaine, I have plans today, perhaps another time." I walked towards the door and heard the annoyance in her voice.
"Yes, perhaps." Then I closed the door and sat down at the table.
"Breakfast now, Leliana?" Sketch asked me smiling and handing me a bowl.
"Thank you." I said and began to eat. "So what is on the agenda for today?"
"Well Tug said he was blabbing about our superior minstrel skills and now we've been requested to play at the Gnawed Noble Tavern for the day, so shall we?"
"Well I'm a bit rusty on my lute…"
"I'm not, and besides you'll be singing anyways." Sketch said.
"Plus there is quite a bit of coin in it!" Tug said sounding a little less drunk than earlier.
"Alright, alright, we'll go."
We walked out of the tavern and tug took one look at us and chuckled. "I'll leave you two love birds alone."
"We're not-" Sketch and I said at the same time which made Tug interrupt us with his laughter. So Sketch and I hung back and started walking to our place.
"The song you sang in there what was it about?" Sketch askled breaking the silence.
"Which song? I sang many tonight." I said even though I knew exactly which one he was talking about.
"The one in Elvish, I think."
"Ah, well I think it is in Elvish but I cannot be sure, an elven woman sang it to me though."
"Oh." He said simply but I knew he had more questions.
"You can ask me more if you wish."
"Can I? I just do not want to overstep our boundaries."
"And what boundaries might those be?"
"Not getting to close in case one of us…dies."
"Sketch, I'm not sure we can avoid getting to know each other after working together for almost 3 years. "
"You just never seemed the chatty type." I laughed when he said that. "What?"
"It just proves how little we know about each other, I am quite the 'chatty type', as you put it, if you get me talking about the right things."
He clearly found this amusing. "And what would the right things be?"
"That, is something you will have to find out for yourself." I smiled and opened the door.
"Great you have finally arrived. Lets get to business now." Marjolaine said to sketch and me trying to sound relieved we were here but her voice had a rather angry tone to it.
"What's the business tonight?" I asked.
"The way I get it its important." Tug said.
"Important business? Well that's a switch." Sketch commented sarcastically rolling his eyes.
"Silence!" Marjolaine interrupted us. "Now, I will tell you what you are doing. You will be taking the life of a certain messenger man." None of us asked why, we knew better than that. Instead we all nodded in understanding.
"great, get ready you two, Leliana follow me for further instructions." Marjolaine said leading the way into her room.
"What am I to do?" I asked as soon as the door was shut.
"Kill him. Completely. He will be just outside Denerim. He is coming here on the Imperial Highway from Lothering. When he is dead take everything off his body, especially the papers. Bring me the papers without looking at them. Understand?"
"Completely." I said and Marjolaine kissed me.
"Good. If you do well you might just have a surprise waiting for you."
"Is that surprise in the shape of a human? A woman, perhaps?"
"Yes, and she just might look a lot like me. So do well tonight and get a reward."
"Marjolaine," I paused seriously before smiling. "I always do well." Then I closed the door softly behind me.
"Alright listen up," I pause letting Sketch and Tug move to follow me outside. "Our target shouldn't be too far from the gates. He's traveling from lothering, he may or may not be armed.
"On the imperial highway?" Sketch asked and I nodded.
"Then I say we just jump up outta nowhere and hit him hard." Tug added. I looked at sketch for his opinion, he nodded.
But," Sketch added, "There aren't a lot of shadows on The Imperial Highway, he would need a distraction." Tug and then Sketch looked at me pointedly. I gave a half laugh and rolled my eyes.
"Very well then." then getting more serious I added. "Come now, be quick and unseen." I said leading them out through the city gates. None of us said a word. Normally there would be easy chatter among us until we got close enough but we all understood this was one important job. So there is no room for mistakes. I heard footsteps and motioned for them to go off into the shadows. I saw the man peering out towards me. When he was close enough I stood up. I was shocked to see 2 guards with him, I thought there would only be one if any.
"Is- is someone there?" the target sounded scared.
I began to cry, "yes, yes I am here."
"What happened miss?" He ran over to me.
"I-I'm trying to get to Lothering." I said between fake hysterical sobs." With my little boy, but I cant seem to find him!' I made my self burst into more sobs.
"Well, perhaps I could help you look for him, where did you see him last?"
"Right over there." I said making a sweeping motion towards sketch and Tugs hiding places. "He said he wanted to play hide and seek! Then he vanished!"
"Well Guards, what are you waiting for, begin looking!" He commanded, and I smiled to myself, keeping close to the target.
"Oh! I saw something move!" I shouted. "Could it be my Timothy?"
"Whe-" The man started to ask but I had his back pressed against me, dagger to his throat I smiled. Before the guards could even react Sketch and Tug hopped out and killed one each.
"Hand over the papers." I commanded.
"But- I…what papers?"
I sighed. "Why must they always play dumb?" I asked Tug and Sketch, who both shrugged. "You very well know what papers I am talking about, now hand them to the Mage there." I commanded, we made it a point never to use anyone's names during missions, even if we do kill the target, the wind carries things and we do not need anyone hearing our names from the wind.
"Okay." He said and handed the papers to Sketch.
"Now, all your other possessions to the Dwarf." He did as told.
"Are you going to spare me now?" He asked and I heard Tug laugh.
"No, I simply didn't feel like picking through your corpse for what I wanted. Now I don't have to." I said and sliced my dagger quickly across his throat and walked away with Sketch and Tug in tow as the targets body thudded on the ground.