A/N: I am so unbelievably sorry for my delays, I have just been unable to keep focused on writing anything. I am getting back into the swing of things again, but if my writing is lack luster than I apologize ahead of time. Anyway I thank you all for your unwavering love, support, and loyalty to my stories, and I hope to update again soon. LOVE YOU ALL!
So a year of servitude, I must admit I am quite curious as to what you will choose.
Shit I forgot that part! Where is that elf again? By the east or west wing of the square? My brows scrunch together over my nose as I struggle to remember.
You wish to be a smuggler? Layla cocks her head at me in question.
Not really but it's better than working for that slime ball Meeran. I barely suppress a shudder at the mention of the leader of the Red Iron.
You forget that I have seen your memories; you chose to work for him in the game.
Exactly my point. In the game. Being a mercenary has certain skill gaining benefits don't get me wrong, but they were just people in a game. Just pixelated characters they weren't real, I never got my hands dirty as it were.
What of those men in the square?
They attacked me first. Plus they were armed men outnumbering us two to one, some of a mercenaries targets are not so well equipped, or even capable of fighting.
For once you have valid point. Perhaps the smuggler is the best choice.
So glad I meet with your approval then. I snap sarcastically.
"You're doing it again."
"Huh?"
"You're talking to the dragon again aren't you?" She whispers.
"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking of what work I want to do once we get into Kirkwall. Wait, how'd you know I was talking to her?"
"You get this faraway look in your eye but your face changes expressions like you are talking to someone or eavesdropping on a conversation. You might want to learn to curb that to avoid some awkward questions you can't answer. The one thing that concerns me is if you are right and Gamlen has…" Bethany lowers her voice even further so mother won't overhear. "lost our family's standing here, what will we do?" Since telling Bethany of who and what I am, I have had a much easier time talking to her.
"We've had enough shit to deal with; I will not add unnecessary murder to my list by becoming a merc."
"You say that as if you have had to do it before."
I shrug and tun my head away from her gaze. "My life was not bloodstained, but I knew of some of others whose lives were drenched in it. Some follow certain rules, a code of conduct if you will, no children and never innocents. Others were not so scrupulous, those kinds of people revel in the bloodshed. They get a kind of demonic glee out of the pain and suffering they cause." I don't tell her these people I'm talking about are from comic books or movies. Not that she'd know what those are anyways. "I worry Meeran is one of the latter, and I will not spill innocent blood."
"You truly fear a man you have never met?" Beth asks confused, she saw me take on an ogre without fear, but at the mention of one man I shudder in revulsion and dread.
"If you'd met our uncle you would understand my concern. He seems to like to surround himself with some real sick fuckers." I say before taking a bite out of an apple I managed to swipe off a cart entering the city, and toss the spare I grabbed to Bethany.
"I really wish you wouldn't curse so much, it's not very ladylike. Besides its vulgar and lazy, something I raised you not to be." Mother chided, giving me a reproachful glare.
Bethany snorts and I nearly burst into insane laughter, oh if only she knew. "Sorry to disappoint you mother, but unfortunately I have been doing it for far too long to stop now. Besides, just because I have the attitude of a brawler, the vocabulary of a well-educated sailor, and a tongue made of acid, doesn't mean I'm not a lady." At the end of the statement I add a delicate curtsy and a demure head bow.
Mother looks unimpressed so I flutter my eyelashes and wave an imaginary fan in front of my face. Beth can barely breath she is laughing so hard, and even stone faced Aveline is chuckling at my overly dramatic display. Mother just tuts at me, and goes back to rocking Sonja. My little monster has her nana wrapped around her little finger, and she bloody knows it the cheeky brat. As if she knows I'm thinking about her, Sonja turns her head and looks at me, her large dark blue eyes bright. She chirps at me and breaks into a happy smile; I can't help but smile back. Looks like nana isn't the only one wrapped around her finger.
Oh shut up, like you could resist those eyes and smile any better than I can. Layla falls silent and I can feel her recede deeper into my mind. Uh huh that's what I thought.
The huff of an indifferent dragon is all I hear, and I grin even wider. At that moment I see a figure approaching us and recognize the pathetic excuse for a relative coming our way.
"Gamlen." I say as the man comes closer and is greeted by an ecstatic mother.
"Leandra! Damn, girl, the years haven't been kind to you." I keep my face impassive, trying to keep the sneer and my contempt to myself.
Apparently I failed because Beth nudged me hard in the ribs as a not so subtle reminder that I was making my dislike known. I snort and bite down on my tongue to keep my comments to myself. As Gamlen begins to explain what happened and that we will need to work as indentured servants for a year to pay off the bribery debts I let mother and
Bethany do the talking. When Aveline asks about what her role in this plan should be Gamlens response startles me out of my silence. "Well… they are my family. I don't know who you are, so why should I help you?"
Before Bethany or Mother can react I snarl and step forward, "She is family, and she stays with us."
Gamlen raises a brow at my aggressive behavior but scoffs it off and shrugs. "Have it your way then, but know that she and your brat are an extra mouth too feed." Gamlen growls before he points toward both Meeran and Athenril and bids me to make my choice.
As I start towards the smuggler I feel a hand on my shoulder and know it is Aveline. I glance back at to see her expression; and while I had expected a solemn look of gratitude what I got was much deeper emotion than that. "Thank you." Was all she said before releasing her grip.
I bow my head in silent welcome and begin walking. "So you're Gamlens niece? Interesting… I don't know what he told you about us but he certainly told us a lot about you."
Beth fidgets nervously behind me at that statement, "He didn't happen to mention anything about me did he?" Athenril gives a sly smirk that sets my teeth on edge.
"Enough to pique our interest. How well you live up to your uncle's boasts however, is still yet to be seen."
"What do you need done?"
As Athenril explains about the slimy merchant Cavril I zone out already knowing what I had to do. You should pay attention, since coming here some reactions have been very different to the scripted game. These people are real now, and you could be walking into things blind if you aren't completely aware of the situation. Layla warns.
Not in the mood to argue, considering she had a very good point, I listen to the smuggler finish talking. "Get back our money and you're in."
"Done."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Carful with that cargo! You break any of those vials and it'll be your hide!" Badger yells as I stumble over a stray bit of rope.
"Then you shouldn't have piled them three crates high so I can't see where I'm fucking going!" I snap back.
Badger grunts and goes back to ordering about the other lackeys carrying the crates of lyrium to another hold on Athenril's ship. "Do you have to antagonize him like that?" Bethany asks as she tries to balance the crates in her arms.
"Then what would I do for fun?" I ask as I place the crates down in one of the hidden holds and slide them in as far as I can before I take Beths and do the same.
She huffs, though from exhaustion or irritation I can't tell, they sound rather similar… Especially when I'm involved. "Well your idea of fun is going to get us on the swabbing detail or worse the kitchen." I wince at the mention of kitchen duty.
"Touché, little sister." Being stuck in the cramped humid room, up to our elbows in scalding dirty water or stirring a pot of unrecognizable goo was as close to hell as you could get on this boat and everyone knew it.
All except Cook perhaps, he was as happy as a pig in slop in that dank kitchen, and hated interlopers. So he made it his personal mission to make whoever he was saddled with as miserable as possible so they never came back. I spent many a time there the first few weeks. Cook and I despise each other, and will go out of our way to ruin the others day. I lost twelve pounds one week when he made the same lumpy grey "soup" knowing I would either eat it and throw it up later or pass out from not eating at all. I got him back by rearranging his spice rack and hiding his favorite soup ladle however. When he realized it was missing he went ballistic and refused to cook till it was found. No one helped him look for it, preferring not to eat then dine on his food but unfortunately the bastard found it and promptly made the vilest lunch any of the crew had ever seen. Aveline got sick of the fighting and went to Athenril to tell her of the war between us, but was told she knew full well of our little spats, and found them amusing more than distracting. However she wasn't the one forced to eat Cook's food, being a cautionary woman she prepared her own meals. The lucky paranoid bitch…
No shit… maybe we should take up the practice?
If we could afford it I would, but whatever pay we do get goes towards keeping mother and Sonja fed. I sigh.
Pity… Layla grumbled.
My stomach growls a complaint at being ignored for so long but knowing that we'll be in port soon keeps me away from the galley. As we climb back up the stairs to the deck, the air has changed from the clean salty smell of the ocean to the rancid and rotting seaweed scent of the shoreline. "We're almost home, and only three more months left before the year is up. I'm a little surprised we've made it this far to be honest." Beth says leaning against the ships rail.
I ignore the fetid odor of the Wounded Coast, and bask in what little sunlight there is, it feels too good to ignore and since we're back in Kirkwall for a few days I know to enjoy it. I swear the city is as smoggy as New York but without the appeal, grungy as it is however, it's still home. "You think we can make it up Sundermount this time? Or is it going to be a sleep for three days straight kind of return?" I ask.
Beth just looks at me, her brow raised and her mouth is set in a thin line. "Sleep it is. She can wait another three months, not like she's going anywhere." I say patting the locket around my neck.
Since Gamlen is up to his ears in debt most of the time, I leave nothing of value in the house when Beth and I's shore leave is over. Instead you leave him with your daughter.
I can't help the smile on my face as she mentions Sonja. First of all I leave her with mother not him, and second he fears my wrath if anything happened to her while I'm away. I made it clear that if he ever touched her he would regret it.
You had him by the throat off the ground and threatened to use his entrails as a Christmas tree garland. Of course he feared you. She says dryly.
My grin takes on a more malicious look as I remember the moment she is talking about. His face was priceless, and he wouldn't look me in the eye for a week straight. It was fantastic!
Layla quirks a scaly brow at my twisted glee; but makes no further comment about it. "Hawke! Get over here!" Now what did I do?
I groan before walking over to Badger who has a rather annoyed look on his face. When doesn't he have an annoyed look on his face? It's the reason you call him badger! He's mean-tempered, ornery, and has the same face of those beady eyed over-grown rodents. She was right, I did call him that and for good reason but that doesn't mean I say it to his face.
"What is it?" He hands me a spy glass and points towards the cliffs.
"We seem to have company and I don't remember you moving the last crates of contraband into the hold." As I look through I feel my stomach drop. A group of Tal-Voshoth are hiding on in a large sloop among the rocks beneath the cliff side where no doubt some archers/spear throwers and a Saarebas are the air support above them.
"Those aren't just a group of bandits, they are rebel Qunari and will leave none alive if they catch us."
Badger grunts, and a few rather unfriendly words spill from his mouth but I have bigger things to worry about. Well this is going to suck.
Layla hums her acquiesce and prepares for battle. As one we stretch our bodies and loosen our muscles; I can feel my skin flex and twitch as the dragon pushes to the surface and rests just beneath my skin. Was this a stupid plan or are we just that unlucky?
Both I should think. "Bethany! We got trouble, go get Athenril." Beth nods and runs below deck to the captains quarters.
I turn to Badger, "Let's do this." He nods and shouts at the rest of the crew to get to their battle stations.
Be careful, the Qunari magic is stronger than any other and if he catches on to what we are he may force us to change in front of everyone.
My eyes widen in fear, I have never made a full transformation to dragon. From what Layla has told me when I ask her about it, I either fully change or I don't because once I initiate the process I cannot stop halfway. She didn't tell me if it would hurt or if it was painless, but I'm guessing from all the werewolf movies I've seen it's going to hurt. A lot. Note to self kill the mage first.
I thought that was common knowledge, always kill the one who can damage you from a distance and heal their party at the same time. You humans need to pay more attention. Layla snorted.
I glower and twirl my blades prepping for battle when Athenril comes running from below decks Beth just behind. "What's going on?"
Badger points to the cliffs and now visible sloop. "Rogue Qunari."
Athenril's face falls and she scowls before turning and shouting for everyone to get to their battle stations, it has been awhile since we've had to fight a battle since our Captain is so cautious and with the added bonus of Beth and I to the already impressive crew, we have survived while other smugglers have not. With that said we have never faced Tal-Voshoth and never this heavily laden down with goods, I swallow thickly and bump shoulders with Bethany. She shoots me a nervous look but I tilt my head toward the cliff, "Focus on the mage, if he senses me then he might try and use it to his advantage." She nods and aims her staff at the figures above.
Athenril tells half the crew to aim at the sloop fast approaching and the other upwards towards the archers and magi. Within seconds the first spells are cast, arrows loosed, and spears thrown; battle cries fill the air as well as the scent of blood as men fall. Rope hooks are tossed over the railing and drag the boats alongside one another for easier boarding, although that just means a faster death for those who make it on deck. Grinning wickedly I screech and charge the nearest adversary, a very large Qunari with bold war paint and thick scars across his chest and arms. I have been busy over the past year relearning what my muscles already know how to do, but I wanted to actually know what I was doing and how to defend myself from an attacker the way the others do. It has paid off. While large the Qunari are far from slow, but their spears can be cumbersome in tight quarters such as this, giving rogues like me small opportunities to get in devastating swipes that either sever tendons or arteries.
Bellowing like a bear he charges and brings up his staff to block my blades, the force I had put into the swing has bounced back up the hilt making my arms shake. He glares down at me and shoves his weight forward, throwing my balance backwards off his weapon. Recollecting himself to make a swing of his own I manage to sneak some quick swipes but none are deep enough to reach anything vital. Dammit! This is why I hate Qunari.
Shut up and concentrate idiot! Layla hisses her lips peeling back in a angry snarl as I get the wind knocked out of me by a crushing blow to the ribs.
Pain fogs my mind as I struggle to breathe, and another swing brings the large spear head in and catches me in the arm. The razor sharp edge slices through my armor and cuts deep into the muscle beneath, nearly throwing me off the deck with the force of its landing. However I get lucky when someone else, Aveline, goes in for the back stab, distracting the big brute long enough for me to take a swig of a healing potion and go after him again. Although my hopes that two on one would go better for us, are short lived, he is a skilled warrior and more than capable of taking on me and Aveline. Pulling as much of Layla's strength as I can, I bring my blades up in a diagonal slash breaking past his defenses cutting deep into his side and into his abdomen. It is a fatal blow without healing, and from the triumphant outcry of my crew a few moments before I swung I know the mage has fallen. Blood pours from his side and I nearly choke on the bile in my throat as I see muscles and organs poke through the open wounds. Strength failing him he stumbles to the red stained deck and chokes on his last gurgling breath. With the fighting still going on I quickly join another skirmish and protect Bethany's back.
After a few more tense blood soaked minutes, the last Tal-Voshoth is dead and we are still sailing. With a victorious yell the whole crew celebrates the end of the battle, weapons raised above our heads in a gory display. Whatever goods that can be stolen from the now unmanned sloop are quickly brought aboard and tucked away in the holds as other steal from the corpses of the dead before they are tossed over the side to feed whatever monsters that lurk beneath the black waters surface. Fallen crew members are treated with a bit more respect; laid out side by side to be wrapped in linen and given to relatives at port, since we are so close no one is tossed over. I quickly clean my blades before placing them back in their sheath and begin to help move the wounded below decks to get stitched up. "Well done Hawke, you too Bethany." Athenril pops up from behind us, unharmed and somehow clean of blood. "With the haul we've just brought in, you two are in luck."
I feel hope flutter in my chest, but force myself to keep a neutral mask on my face, Beth is more cautious and confused. "What do you mean?"
She smiles in such a way that has always made my skin crawl, I can never tell if it's a good thing or if she is just plain creepy. "With the coin about to come our way after we bring in this shipment your debt will have been paid. In full and ahead of schedule, you are all free to go once we dock and unload. However you are more than welcome to stay if you wish, we could always use some more skilled sailors and fighters."
I feel my heart pounding so hard in my chest I feel like it's about to burst. "We're free?"
"Truly free?" I look at Beth and cannot help but smile as we both contemplate what that means.
Athenril nods and talks about how we will always have a place on her boat if things don't turn out the way we'd hoped in Kirkwall, and that for letting us go early we would owe her a favor. One that she would collect at a later date. Grinning like a fool I pull Beth in for a hug once Athenril leaves us, and then we both rush to find our favorite strawberry blond warrior to tell her the good news.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mother is waiting at the docks for us with little Sonja on her hip, and I can't help but smile at my toddlers beaming face. When the ropes are tied and gangplank is attached we all begin our dissent off the boat to prepare for unloading all our legal goods the rest will wait for night fall and more discrete company. Now that I am clean of the gore I nearly bowl mother over in my rush to embrace the both of them. "How are my girls?" She asks when I release her to let Bethany take my place.
"We're perfect mother, couldn't be better." Beth replies giving a squeeze before stepping back.
"Oh and what about Aveline? Where is she?" Mother had taken to calling the three of us her girls whenever we came home on shore leave, and it made us all feel loved and missed when she did.
Although a familiar sharp ache echoed in my heart whenever she called me her daughter. I desperately missed my real mom and the rest of my family, but I knew I might never see any of them again, so I swallowed my tears and let Leandra, Beth, Aveline, and Sonja be my second family. "Right here Leandra." Aveline was a little slower getting off but smiled warmly and let mother hug her before we were pulled back to our duties for the final time.
When we took our meager belongings back to Gamlen's house, we told mother we were home for good this time and I got a surprise of my own. I have been holding my little girl since we left the pier, and I can't help but think she is the most adorable thing on the planet when she snuggles under my chin holding on tightly. "Did you miss me baby girl?"
I feel her nod and her chubby hands hold on tighter to my neck. "I missed you too." I press a kiss to the side of her head and hum my lullaby to her as we walk.
She shifts a bit in my arms and I hiss when she kicks at the bruises on my ribcage. "Something wrong dear?"
"Nah, I'm fine just a skirmish left me a bit banged up is all." I wave off her concern even though both Leandra and Sonja give me similar looks of concern.
"Don't you have any healing potions? If not can Bethany heal you?"
"She does and I can, she just doesn't want to utilize them or me." Beth adds with an annoyed snort.
"We've had this conversation before, using your magic too much puts a drain on you and those potions taste vile. Cook makes better tasting things and that's saying something, I take a couple swallows to heal the worst of it then let my body do the rest. Like a normal person."
"Like an stupid person you mean."
"Oh would you stop, I am not stupid just because I don't mind healing naturally."
"Uh huh, whatever makes you feel better about yourself." Beth says with a cheeky wink in my direction before walking ahead of us.
"You are so lucky I'm carrying Sonja." I growl at her back.
She laughs, "Like you could catch me anyways."
Challenge accepted. Layla snorts and lets her strength and agility flow into my muscles.
Aveline raises her eyebrow at our antics but says nothing to warn Bethany when I hand Sonja back to my mother and begin to sneak up on my unsuspecting sister. Or so I thought. Without missing a beat she freezes my foot to the cobblestones and then bolts laughing hysterically while I struggle to free myself. "That's cheating you bitch!" I yell when I finally break loose and chase after her.
"Never said I would play fair!" She tosses back over her shoulder still running.
She is so going to pay for that, but how? Any ideas? I ask dodging people and animals as I tear after Beth.
I think a well placed spider in her bed after dinner tonight should suffice, don't you think?
I am about to say that would be cruel considering her hatred and fear of the insect since see her first giant one as a child, but then she pulls another ice trick and causes me to skid into a cart carrying nasty smelling fish. A big fat hairy one. I growl.
Now you're talking.
A/N: There it is! My latest update! Hope you liked it and leave me a review and again I thank you all for your patience and support! Have a happy weekend, til next time loves!
