The bath was actually a very welcomed reprise from all the hours spent in the dirt, and the girl tried to enjoy it to her best. She had stopped talking right after Athras had replied to one of her questions with an icy glare, declaring that she wasn't there to entertain her. So she kept her curiosity at bay, storing away all the things she found interesting or unknown in the hope she could ask about them later. She wondered, as she soaked, about the strange stones attached to the lower parts of the tube, and on how the water could turn hot when it came out cold of the taps. Well, it was surprising they had taps to begin with, really.
She bathed fairly quickly, scrubbing away at her skin to remove the caked dirt accumulated on her arms and face with a piece of soap that the elf had thrown at her not-so-gently before she left her to her privacy. After she was done cleaning up her body, she turned the soap in her hands and then proceeded to wash her hair. Luckily enough she had just cut them really short before- before. At least it was one less thing to worry about.
When she emerged from the tub, she spotted a towel and some clothes resting on a nearby chair. She grabbed the piece of cloth and dried herself up, then wrapped it around herself and went to check the clothes. The assemble turned out to be a pair of soft, leather leggings – leather, she had never worn leather before! – that looked too big to be the elf's, a well worn, red cotton shirt with laces on the front and a pair of…those had to be the weirdest pair of panties she'd ever seen, and modern underwear was all about the crazy. She noted that her bra was gone, and she couldn't feel sorry for its disappearance. She'd never liked to wear those boobs traps, it was a good chance to let the girls be free.
She giggled a bit inwardly as she got dressed, relieved that she still could make use of her sense of humor despite everything.
Once she was decent, she stepped outside, finding Athras lounging by the wall. The elf threw her a glare and started to walk off without saying a word.
When they returned to the main room, the smell of food hit her hard, reminding her mind that her body hadn't ingested anything in the past day. Her stomach growled in response, drawing an amused look from Athras, who just looked the other way to disguise her smile.
The woman led the telin through the tables, much as Simmons had done earlier, until they found a pair of horns and blinding white hair emerging from the crowd.
Melchor was always easy to spot wherever he went, a detail that to Athras always seemed redundant as a rogue, but he was never bothered by it. If not for the hair, then it was the horns that gave him away, and the qunari enjoyed his fame very much – despite what he might say if ever questioned about it.
The elf sat down next to Simmons, who was occupying the spot on Melchor's right, and nodded for the telin to sit across from the qunari.
"Feeling any better?" the qunari asked, turning his violet gaze upon the girl.
He noted that with clean clothes and a clean face she looked a bit older than he had initially surmised at first sight, which was a bit of a relief. He was used to train or have in training people from a young age, but since her circumstances were peculiar, it was good that she wasn't exactly that young. Not for their world, at least.
"A bit, thank you" she replied with a faint smile, her hands still fidgeting under the table. That huge man made her wary, and even if she knew – well, she knew – that qunari were not inherited violent, she still was nervous. Never in her life she had ever seen such big person…it was unnerving.
A low, steady growling sound coming from her stomach made silence fell on the whole table. A terrible wave of embarrassment hit her in full force, red blush blooming all over her face and chest, and then everyone started laughing. Not really at her, but still.
"Someone bring food at this girl! She's starving!" Melchor yelled over his shoulder, then turned to show the smirk that was adorning his lips.
A big, steamy, bowl of stew was delivered soon after, and the girl seemed to dig in it with gusto. It wasn't that the stew had much taste or was particularly good, but everything was a viable option to hid her face.
"Now, since you are well, it's time to talk business" the qunari's voice turned to serious, and the girl raised her eyes to him. He was looking at her with the face of someone who was attentively calculating something, something that probably involved her directly.
She grimaced.
She wasn't going to like what was coming, was she?
"You appeared out of nowhere in our city, bearing a Mark that only I and a couple other persons – other mages, posses the knowledge to craft, with no name to yourself and no idea of where you are. Now tell me, doesn't that sound highly suspicious to you?" he mused, lacing his fingers together under his chin and leaning onto it.
The girl's hand stilled with the spoon midway to her mouth, frozen with shock.
Well, when he says it like that…
She gulped, forcing herself to function again under his hard scrutiny.
Wait – her brain caught up to her – did he just say Mage?
"Judging by her face just right now, I'd wager she shares your opinion, old man" another voice joined in by her left, and she turned to see a very handsome woman approach their table. She stood tall, taller than her for sure, with large hips and a … flourishing bosom, to put it mildly. Her skin was dark chocolate brown, and a bush of curly red hair framed her round face. She had large, honey eyes and full, heart lips that were pulled in crooked smile.
In a word, she was stunning.
"I'm not old" Melchor huffed, and was that a pout he was making?
On his right she heard Simmons giggle.
"It's good to see you, Maria" the human man greeted the newcomer, offering a cheeky smile.
Athras, next to him, just seemed to glower harder.
"It's good to see you too, sweet cheeks" Maria singed back, positioning her lovely round butt on the bench next to the girl.
"At any rate, you should not worry about it. This girl obviously isn't after our secrets, nor is she a danger to us. Am I right?" the woman continued, picking the discussion back up.
Not knowing if the question was a rhetorical one, the girl preferred not to reply.
"I know. I also know how she got here" Melchor was the one to speak, drawing everyone's eyes to him, put the girl's in particular.
"You know? Then tell me!" she all but yelled, intimidation forgotten in the face of answers.
The mage's eyes zeroed on her.
"And why should I? You are still walking around with my mark, our mark on you. I don't get anything from just telling you" he explained, finally showing his hand.
The girl frowned.
"And what would you want from me? I'm no one" she rebuked, suddenly aware that her bad temper was rising. She had just had a hell of a day, she'd bite the horns off his head for a chance to go back and forget this was something more than a very vivid dream.
"So you say, little nemo. But everyone can be useful in some way or another" Maria said, referring to her with yet another word she did not understand.
No, wait. I do know that word!
It's not only about the fish that got lost, you know right? Her brain mocked, making her wish she could hit her inner, little bitch of a voice.
I know, thank you very much.
"What's your point then?" she asked warily, kind of scared of the answer she would receive from either of them.
"The Kirkwallers are a guild of spies and assassins, we offer our clients a list of vast services, and we are highly regarded in the city for our sense of propriety. We only act towards are marks and never to harm the innocents. As spies, any new face that is not known in this society, is always a powerful asset. So you see, your presence here does have a point, after all" Melchor said, laying out the bare truth in front of her.
Assassins?!
Motherfucking assassins?
For real?
Oh jesus…
She head-butted herself mentally, cursing her karma for this rather unfortunate outcome.
She sighed.
"Mr. , I don't want to let you down so soon, but I have no skill whatsoever in the things you just mentioned. I'm just-"
"Yes, yes we know. You are no one. Can we skip this?" Athras cut her off impatiently, huffing and glaring from her spot.
The girl glared back, taking the elf a bit off guard.
"I was going to say that I'm just some random girl who has never done anything more than study in her life. I'm going to be of no use to you" she explained, taking a spoonful of stew as she finished speaking.
Melchor pondered her words attentively, studying her pensively.
"You'll be trained first, of course. It'll take time, but I'm sure it'll be worth the information that I got" he smiled, and the girl felt a shiver run down her spine. That was the smile of a predator, of man that new his power and how to use it, and that had no problem in taking what he wanted. And right now, that thing was her.
The little girl, now so out of her element, found herself, for the first time in her life, thinking about her imminent future. Before, back home, it had always been about planning ahead with her studies, the travels, plans for a life that had yet to come; never had she found herself taking a decision that would shape her life so drastically.
But there, in that unknown place full of variables she could not predict, what choice did she have? She bore the Mark of the Kirkwallers, and it seemed she belonged to them regardless of her own will.
"There is really no point in refusing. You have something I need and, apparently, I am something you need. – she paused, looking down into her now empty bowl of stew – I'm not stupid, I know when to accept a deal" she finished, meeting those unnerving violet eyes halfway.
Her words drew the first genuine smile on the qunari's lips, and she felt something shift in her stomach at the sight.
"That's what I like to hear, little girl" he replied, his voice oozing self satisfaction. He probably was this close from patting himself on his very broad, very muscular shoulders…
The last of the stew kind of went the wrong way down her throat, and she had to cough a couple times to avoid chocking on a piece of undefined vegetable.
"So, what can we call you anyway?" Maria quipped from besides her, peeling her attention away from the man's shoulders.
"And don't say no one, or Athras here is probably going to punch you" she laughed, almost oblivious to the very heated glare she was receiving from said rogue.
"I – don't really know. I guess anything's fine at this point" she said, shrugging.
Her real name was hers and hers only, this world would not have it.
"I say we just call her telin. She does like to insist on it" Athras threw there nonchalantly, as if she was not really invested in the whole conversation.
"What does that even mean?" Simmons anticipated her own question.
Athras offered one really smug smile before speaking.
"No one, of course."