Issac had attracted quite the following of interesting characters in the following months. The captain of the guard he had come to Kirkwall with, an insufferable mage hating elf, a ridiculously naive elven bloodmage, and a sultry pirate I was sure I knew from somewhere, they all followed him. He had helped them all gladly. He had especially helped the pirate gladly, I noticed. Jealousy is an ugly thing, and not worth my time. This I struggled to convince myself. Besides he brought me along on even his most mundane of tasks, he even asked me to assist his sister in honing her healing abilities. It was quite the help to have extra hand in the clinic.

…..

"Issac is something wrong?" He had looked jumpy and nervous, not his usual self at all.

"I came here to talk to you Anders, I feel like I can trust you. Besides Varric and Bethany you have been my best friend in Kirkwall." At this my heart skipped a beat, one of his best friends. "I feel like Varric would make fun of me, and Bethany...this isn't the kind of thing I'd want to ask my sister."

"Oh." A feeling of nervous anticipation filled my gut. "Well what do you need to ask me, is it something medical?" I hoped it was not. I knew what I wanted it to be.

"Anders, I think I like someone." His eyes shyed from meeting mine.

"Ok, well um...who is it." I choked out. Its not what I want it to be, or is it? Maker this is foolish, so foolish.

"Its Isabella." His cheeks became flush when he even spoke the name. Of course it was her. The busty tease had been all over him ever since their first meeting. I am not disappointed, I am not jealous, I am lying to myself. "I want to know, uh, how do you get a girl to like you?" He asked still blushing nervously.

"She already seems to like you, she's practically spreading her legs open for you every time I see you together." I spat. It was cruel, it was immature. He looked at me, wounded.

"Not like that Anders, I really want her to like me. She is just so amazing. Have you heard her stories, her laugh, her...everything." He sighed. I relented. He trusts me as a friend, and if this is what he wants. Of course he had no interest in me, why would he. What was I? I am not even fully human anymore. I should count myself fortunate that he views my friendship in such high esteem.

It still hurt.

Emotions are a weakness.

"Well Issac, if you want her to know you really care about her, do nice things for her. Get her a gift, take her out to someplace where she would have a good time, be honest with her about how you feel." Hmm be honest about how you feel, I cannot even take my own advice, but then again I am not even sure what it is I feel for him.

"I don't know if I can tell her. I will take your other advice though. I feel like an idiot schoolboy not knowing what to do." He said shaking his head.

"Don't tell me a handsome man like yourself has never wooed any young ladies." Why do these stupid words keep coming out of my mouth. At this he laughed.

"No, no, In my family we couldn't really get close to anyone. It was fear that they would let it slip about Father and Bethany. I do know a girl back in Lothering fancied me, but I was never going to put Bethany at risk like that unless I was sure her secret would be safe. Isabella has know her for months now, she has fought with her, I definitely don't think she'd hand Bethany over to any Templars."

"Your loyalty to your family is truly admirable." To give up so much of his own freedom for the sake of another...

"I would do anything to keep my family safe, especially since father passed." He added with a grim note.

"You are a good man Issac. All I think you have to do is be yourself, that should win anyone over." I hoped he did not detect the sadness in my voice.

This is for the best.

Emotions are a weakness.