4. Last Step
The last embers of daylight shone orange on the horizon, making Kirkwall look oddly warm, as the first of the night stars started to dot the sky. She walked up the last couple of steps to find herself in a small square, opposite which she recognized the Blooming Rose, the city brothel. She stopped and looked around. A blonde elf not too far away was crouching over what looked like a huge logbook. She smiled.
He was looking at the empty fireplace, as if it could somehow give him answers. His gauntlets laid abandoned on the floor next to where he sat, clenching his hands tightly. He looked down at them. They were scabbed and rough, and a few scars danced around the perfectly intact and smooth lyrium burns. Odd, he thought to himself, as he realized that the few memories that had come back over the last two days continued to linger in his mind. It had never happened before. He felt his stomach sink a little as he recalled the night he had shared with Hawke, and how all the memories that had flickered in his mind while he was with her had vanished just as quickly as he lay next to her.
"But… why?" He found himself asking the fireplace. Silence came as an obvious reply. He let out a frustrated snort of laughter at his own stupidity and stood up, picking up his gauntlets and covering his lean elf hands with them once again.
"Business is over, come back tomorrow" Athenril said carelessly, as she handed her logbook to one of her elven guards. She turned to face the woman who had spoken. She smiled. "Then again" she added tilting her head to one side and crossing her arms knowingly, her interested smile widening, "you look like you might be of some help".
"I'm looking for information" the silver-haired elf said in a steely voice.
"Everything has a price" replied Athenril "what kind of information?"
"I need to know whom you sent to help the dwarf Anso," she said, knowing the information wouldn't come easily from a smuggler, a clever elven one at that. Athenril's smile slowly slid down her face as she stared intently at the woman in front of her "what for?" she asked suspiciously, "that's quite the piece of information you're asking for, you know".
"Personal business" was the only answer she obtained.
There was a short pause. "You're not from round here are you?" Athenril asked "I can tell by your accent, even though you try to hide it. The person you seek is one of my most trusted former employees, so to speak" she added with a small grin "I need to know I can trust you, er, what did you say your name was again?".
"What would you have of me?" the woman said, realizing she wouldn't get around her without a fight, ignoring the question.
"Good choice" Athenril said approvingly. She looked her curiously in the eyes for a few seconds before turning round and taking the logbook from her guard. "I'm having a few problems with some mercenaries employed by the Carta I suspect" she continued in a matter-of-fact voice "they're somewhere here in Hightown, they've been killing my men and stealing my goods during the night. I need them sorted out, if you know what I mean" she concluded.
"Tonight?" "Yes" "You have no idea where they might be?".
Athenril smiled, "I have a business contract being signed next to the DuPuis mansion tonight. They will probably try to ambush my men and steal the gold" she replied.
"How many?" "Maybe about a dozen?" "I can handle that" the woman said.
Athenril watched her, her interested gaze sweeping from the silver hair tied in a knot on the woman's head to her blue eyes to the various blades and pouches hanging from her leather belt "who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Asya, that is all you need to know".
Athenril nodded "fair enough" she replied with another slight grin.
Asya turned and walked away, only to stop after a few steps and turn her head to one side "I'll be back in the morning" she said, lifting a hood over her head and slipping into the shadows of the evening. "Do you think she'll survive? You didn't tell her they were mages" one of the elven guards broke the curious silence that Asya had left behind her. Athenril looked at him, the expression on her face unreadable, "she's a clever one, Danyl, she might just make it".