Heads up. I changed a few things here and there, hence why it took me a little longer than usual to post. Nothing too drastic, but you may scratch your heads at a few things later on if you don't reread or skim the previous chapters.

I'm kinda in love with Eva. Her and Maraas's story has been bugging me nonstop but I want to finish this tale first.

I should probably point out that the timeline is a bit sketchy for this story/scenes/happenings may be out of order in comparison to how the game lays it out, but oh well. Also, my grasp of maps is horrid. I've never been good at describing a place unless I've been there. So PLEASE feel free to help me out if I'm describing a location wrong or it comes off awkward. I'd appreciate it.

Anyway, enough of me. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Definitely a Noble

Eva sat me down on her bench again. "Supper is almost ready."

As I watched her bustling about, my need to know became unbearable. "Eva . . . can you . . . please tell me about this place? Can I ask you some questions? None of this seems even remotely similar."

Eva paused or a moment, thinking. "Did Ashaad tell you nothing?" She placed a plate in front of me.

"Ashaad?"

She snorted. "I suppose he didn't tell you that. He was called Ashaad a'fore he left the Qun. Kind of a sore spot. What'd he have you callin' 'im?"

"Um, Maraas." I shifted uncomfortably, wondering if she knew what it meant. By her confused expression, I was guessing she did not. And now I felt guilty, like I was keeping a secret from someone I had no right to keep a secret from. But before I could open my mouth to let her know, she was already talking.

"Hmph. Alright then. So Maraas, told you nothing'?"

"No, not really. He doesn't really talk much."

She gave a short laugh. "Now ain't that the truth. Always been a quiet man. Well then. Ask away." She sat down next to me with her own plate. She cut a steamed potato in half and gave me an end. "Mind, it's hot."

"Kirkwall . . . used to be the center of slave trade?"

"Can't tell what yer askin'. But yeah. Them Tevinter whatsits had them a little rebellion and they stuck the slaves here. Sure yah seen them statues. They was a reminder that slaves needed ta know their place. Good reminder. Had 'em workin' the mines here, too."

"So is it still a . . . slave capitol?"

She waved her hand. "They went and outlawed slavery, but don't mean nasty people still don't try . . . or that other more subtler forms haven't taken the more blatant one." God, this Kirkwall got better and better. Eva took a bite of her meal and I nibbled at mine, my stomach suddenly acidic. "That being said, I suppose I should warn ya. This here area is called Lowtown. It's big and it's where us Commoners live. Up there," She gestured above her head, "Is Hightown. Where all them nobles live and tell us what to do. And you mind yerself if one of them nobles deigns to be among us. Don't look up from yer feet and don't ya speak unless spoken to, ya hear?"

I nodded mutely, setting aside my plate, my appetite gone. Actually, I was feeling really sick. Eva eyed my plate then shook her head.

"Then again, there is that Hawke fella. Moved up from Lowtown and into Hightown recently. He ain't got that uppity air to 'im and he comes down quite often. Then again, I've heard he's a mage, so ya gotta be careful, yeah?" She noticed my abandoned meal. "You eat that. Never know when you'll eat again." She pushed the plate back into my hands, noting my pensive expression. "I know yer curious and yer wantin' to know since all this is new to yah right now, but ya gotta keep up yer strength and take it easy for a bit. I would like to know more about yah, if'n that's okay? Now then, yer name is Emma, correct?"

"Emma Fletcher." I mumbled.

Eva looked at me in surprise. "Yer family name is Fletcher, then? Yer sire must have worked with arrows, eh? Did you?"

"I don't know. I mean, I don't think so. It doesn't feel right."

"Huh. Yah know, I've been wonderin' if'n yer a noble. I mean, yer pretty enough, got all yer teef as far as I can see." Consciously I touched my mouth and glanced at Eva. I noted she was missing two or three teeth. "And yah pronounce words something pretty. Definitely not from here, though. Don't got a Free Marcher's accent. Or Ferelden, for that matter. Only met one Rivaini and you ain't got their way with words either. Such a mystery."

She actually seemed excited, a gleam entering her eye. Then she smiled kindly at me. "Do yah remember anythin'? Like, what kind of clothin' yah got on right now, for instance?"

"Um, this is called a t-shirt." I fingered my shirt.

"T-shirt, huh? What's it made of? Cotton?"

"I . . . that sounds right."

Eva clucked her tongue. "That's a mighty expensive material. Seems more'n more yer a noble. And these?" She plucked at my jeans.

"Jeans. And no, I have no idea what they're made of."

"Never heard of 'jeens' afore." She shrugged. "Lots of stuff I dun know about though. Anything else you remember? Yer family? Likes, dislikes, things like that?"

For a moment, I closed my eyes and tried desperately to remember something. But all I got was a fierce headache that made me flinch. But, for a very brief moment, I saw something. "I remember . . . I remember a painting. I think it's mine. I think I . . . I think I painted."

Eva stared at me then laughed. "A noble! Definitely a noble! Paints are expensive and as is everythin' else to do with it. When yah remember what noble family yer from, you remember me, yah hear?" Chuckling, she stood and started banking the fire. When that was done, she went and grabbed something out of a cabinet. She turned and I found out it was a blanket.

"It's time for us to go to bed. I only got one bed and it's only big enough fer one. And I may be charitable, I'm not that self-sacrificin'. This here will be yer bed." Gripping one end of the blanket, she tossed it out, unfurling it, and laid it onto the ground. Choking down the rest of the potato, I went and sat down the blanket. It was expectedly hard and uncomfortable—but it wasn't anything different from what I had been forced to sleep on before when traveling with Maraas.

Eva was going through a crate and when she came back to me once more, she held clothing in her hand. "This here is my spare attire I had to scrimp and save fer, but . . ." She eyed me, "Yer clothin's too noticeable. And Maraas told me about them nasty fellas you met on the road here. Honestly, I'm surprised yah didn't meet anything else. That aside, yer easy to spot in them clothing. Use these as yer pillow and then change into them in the mornin'."

I grabbed them from her and watched her as she went about doing some finishing touches for the night. She knocked her foot against a clay pot. "This here is the chamberpot, if'n ya need to relieve yerself in the night." Though I drew a blank on chamberpot, I immediately got the picture. I almost gagged, but gulped it down and nodded. "You'll be comin' with me in the mornin'. Hopefully we can find yah some work."

"Okay." I laid down, my head swimming as it laid on top of the clothing. Eva must have finished up because the light went out, submerging us in darkness, and I heard her get into her bed.

"Painting, ha!" She chuckled again. There was a stretch of silence and I thought Eva had fallen asleep, when suddenly she asked hesitantly, "Yah think . . . yah could paint me? Yah know, without my scars?"

Shocked, I wasn't sure what to say. "I . . . I don't know."

She hummed. "I kinda forgot what I looked like without 'em. I used to be pretty, ya know. Very pretty and it got me into trouble all the time. Fer them Hightown folk, it's a blessin', but for us Commoners, it's a right curse. Didn't look at it like that for a while, until I . . . sorry. Get yer rest."

It hit me right then, how horrid this place was. I knew, deep down in my soul, that where I came from, wherever that was, what happened to Eva just didn't happen. That the clear-cut class distinctions weren't there. I clutched my hands to my chest. And I realized just how giving Eva was despite what little she had, how kind she was despite what happened to her. "Thank you, Eva. For everything. I promise I'll pull my weight."

She gave a soft grunt.