'After Kirkwall – 7'

Everyone is exhausted after getting the two ships out of the harbour of Antiva City in the dark. Hawke and Varania had been called on several times to cast massive force spells as the ships came close to hitting harbour walls, other ships and each other. The light from the emerging flames around the city not enough to light up the docks and light the path they needed to take to get out. Isabella refusing to let Hawke light their way, insisting that as few people as possible should see their leaving, Hawke had been forced into drawing on Fenris, leaving him drained and ready to drop on the deck. Once beyond the harbour, Ativa City receding fast behind them, as the full light of day came up, the two ships were able to run alongside each other allowing Isabella and Argo to holler at each other and check that each was managing. No one looked back. Antiva City was left to its own devices.

As soon as the ships are sailing smoothly, Isabella sends as many as possible for some rest time. She gives the tranquil mage a task to allow someone else to rest and he carries it out without comment. Fenris is already sleeping when Hawke lies down in the bunk beside him and it takes only a few moments, before she drifts off herself.


She sits at the large wooden table in the farmhouse, trying to read the book in front of her, but the words do not make sense. She has been sitting for what seems like hours trying to decipher this book and still it is beyond her understanding. She scratches her head as a flash of light passes in front of her vision, then another. Her head comes up quickly, trying to see what just passed her eyes. She spies them at the ceiling of the room. Two tiny spots of light, darting and bouncing off the rafters, before they fly off to the window to bounce back and forth off the window pane as she has watched insects do when trying to get out.

Getting up from the chair she follows them, trying to get closer to see what they are, but as she reaches the window they fly off again, making two rounds of her head before going back towards the book,

"Casting spells when you weren't supposed to again girl?" She jumps at the rich deep tones of her father's voice as he comes through the door carrying firewood.

"No! I didn't do this, it must have been Bethany!" she protests.

She hears him sigh, "Bethany's gone, my dear, she couldn't have done this."

Hawke feels the sharp stab of grief run through her heart as realisation dawns on her, "I'm dreaming aren't I?" She turns to him, knowing he is only a vision created by her sleeping mind, but it feels so wonderful to see him in front of her again. It has been a long time since he came into her dreams. He moves to the side of the fire to put down the logs and begins stacking them neatly.

"Maybe you are, but if you're dreaming of me you must need me for something. What's bothering you?"

"It has started in Antiva City. Everyone talks of war coming between the mages and Templars and it's my entire fault." She sits back at the table her head in her hands. "Just like I couldn't save Bethany. Just like I could not save Mother. It's just so much bigger."

He says nothing until he puts the last of the logs on the pile and coming to stand behind her he puts a hand on her shoulder,

"What makes you think what you have done is wrong?"

She sits up and turns round in the chair to look at him, wracked with feelings that she has let him down. "Its war father, if this keeps going many people will die and their blood will be on my hands. I should have done more to make Meredith and Orsino see sense. I should have seen what Anders was going to do and stopped him. I should have forced Elthina out of that bloody Chantry. I should have...stopped it all somehow."

She feels the tears starting at the back of her eyes as her Father looks at her with that old familiar look of quiet understanding. His love for his family had shielded her from the horrors of the outside world for so long. She had forgotten what it felt like to be safe and protected.

"Girl there is nothing you could have changed. You cannot control what other people do. Persuade them, cajole them, talk with them...all these things might make them think about it, but their actions are their own. This is merely the start of something that has been coming for a very long time. How many more people would have died had you done nothing? Sometimes people have to die so that a better way of life can be gained. This is the way of things, Andraste knew this, and it is not your fault. I brought you up as a free mage. In Kirkwall you showed them repeatedly that a free mage need not be the evil incarnate they fear. It is time to stop looking back. There is no more you could have done. You are on a new journey now. I am proud of what you have done. I would like to be proud of what you are going to do."


Hawke wakes as Fenris tries to get over her to get out of the bunk, banging his head on the wooden bars of the empty bunk above them. "Ow! Sorry, I really tried not to wake you." He says as he looks down at her smiling sleepily up at him, "Kiss me and I'll forgive you." She says wrapping her arms round his neck.

"Sounds like a fair deal." He says rubbing the lump rapidly forming at the back of his head. "Here's another, when we get to Llomeryn, can we find a big bed to sleep in for one night. This space is beginning to feel cramped. Next time Isabella steals a ship, tell her to make you captain, then we could have the big cabin."

"If we had a big cabin, we would never come out of it, that's probably why she'll never make me a captain."

"Oh, you could just leave the door open and shout out your orders. As long as mine include staying in there with you, I wouldn't mind."

There is suddenly a loud rapping on the door, "I can hear you talking, so I know you're awake." Shouts Isabella, "Get up, you have work to do!"

"Damn that woman! I swear I will interrupt her 'alone time' and see how she likes it! A kiss it is then, no more for now. I mean it about that big bed!"

The two ships sail keeping within sight of each other. Isabella stands at the rail watching the other ship, trying not to worry too much about Argo with an untested crew. Knowing he must have chosen well for the ship still to be intact after getting out of that harbour. She feels before she hears the other woman approach her from behind,

"Look Hawke." Isabella indicates a point between the two ships where a grey head pops up between waves. "We have company; he's been following us since we left Antiva City. See that long hair, reminds me of one of the Siren's Call crew. Poor sod, lost his eye, lost his leg, then lost his life, not a good advert for sailing with me." The head pops up again and Hawke can see the animal struggling hard to keep up with the swift movement of the ships. It tries to keep its long snout above the water and she can see the tendrils of its mane spread out on the surface again and again as the head moves up and down.

"Do kelpies often follow ships?" Hawke asks, curious on seeing an animal she has only ever seen pictures of in books.

"Not often. It is taken as a sign of storms ahead. Not really much of a premonition, we will be heading up the Rivain coast, almost guaranteed we will run into a storm there. Hope you're ready for it." Isabella's tone gives away how worried she is. The last storm she encountered lost her a ship and her crew.

"Am I ready?"

Isabella turns from looking at the kelpie, "No one is ever really ready when they hit their first storm. Bad weather tests everyone on a crew. Some will do well, others will not. If we get through it and no one is drowned, I'll consider myself a good captain for having knocked you all into shape and the ship will earn herself a name."

"What about the name the ship has? Why not keep it?"

"New captain, new name, Hawke. I won't call her whatever name that bastard Castillion gave her and I won't give her a new one until she sees us through a storm." Isabella smiles at Hawke, "I like to get to know the character of those I sail with and you never really know it until you've been through the worst, but I'm confident you'll be fine."

Hawke looks around and sees the tranquil mage she rescued and watches for a moment as he coils up ropes as Isabella has asked him to. Leaving Isabella, she decides things are quiet enough to try to find out more about the man she could not leave behind.

"What is your name?" she asks as he finishes his task.

"Harral." He states blandly.

"Tell me about yourself Harral." She says, looking closely at the tall fair haired man. His blue eyes showing nothing of what he is thinking.

"I am Harral, I am tranquil." He says simply, defining himself in six words. Great! Thinks Hawke, getting him to talk is going to be harder than she thought. Why are all tranquil like this? She is going to have to be more careful in how she frames her questions. Looking at the man there is nothing that gives away anything of what the man inside might be or what he might have been with his magical abilities intact.

"Why were you made tranquil Harral?" she asks, hoping the story of how he came to be in his current state might reveal more of the man.

"I loved Templar David." He states flatly, "First Enchanter caught us together and told me to volunteer for the Rite of Tranquillity or he would have Templar David executed. I did not want that to happen."

Hawke knows her knowledge of discipline in the Circle is lacking, but she is sure that the punishment for templars and mages having affairs is not usually so severe. That Harral would sacrifice his magic rather than see his lover die is easy to comprehend, that a First Enchanter would demand this of him is not, unless...

"The First Enchanter wanted you for himself didn't he?" she does not really need to hear Harral's affirmative to know the answer to the question. Hawke feels a part of her screaming with rage inside. This man had been forced into losing his magic or see his lover killed. What kind of monster is this First Enchanter? He had his own magic, he must have been fully aware of what Harral would lose. This was no Templar or chantry priest afraid of what they did not know, ignorant of what they were really telling someone to do and what it would mean. Anders' stories of his time in Ferelden's circle had nothing like this in them, awful as many of them were.

"Why were you at the docks the other night?" she asks sensing the answer to this will reveal even more of Harral's sorry tale.

"First Enchanter Santiago sent me to find the ship captained by a man called Castillion and wait for him. I had not found the vessel and he had not arrived when you put me on your ship." Hawke swallows the twinge of guilt that she feels that she is the reason he was wandering around the docks. He would never have found the man he was sent to look for.

"Why did the First Enchanter send you to wait for him?"

"He said he was leaving Antiva City and I was to go with him." She hears the rich timbre of his deep voice underneath the monotone he answers with and feels sad that she should not hear it with all the normal inflections it would have were he not tranquil, then it registers what the man has just said,

"The First Enchanter was planning to leave Antiva City?" Hawke cannot quite believe she had heard him right. "That means he was planning to leave all the mages he was responsible for! How could he do that? He was leaving just when the mages and Templars started fighting! He must have planned this somehow. "She turns to look at Harral directly, "Why was he leaving Antiva City?"

"Templar David said he was going to make sure he was also made tranquil. Templar David came to see First Enchanter this afternoon. He told First Enchanter he had found the evidence of his illegal trading of lyrium."

Hawke shakes her head. It should not have been a surprise that the First Enchanter was also dealing in illegal lyrium trading. A man willing to wipe out a mages abilities, just so he could take possession of him must also have other underhand hobbies that he did not mind pursuing. A tale of love, jealousy and rivalry, of a man abusing his power, another wanting revenge for his friend, all told completely without emotion by the man at the centre of it all. This poor man had been denied his magic for daring to love a Templar and abused by the man who had taken it all from him. Anders had talked of Templars restricting the freedom mages, had he ever suspected it could also come from within their own ranks?

Her voice catches, feeling for this man where he cannot, "How did the First Enchanter plan to escape."

"When Templar David left, First Enchanter gathered the mages together and told them they should follow the mages of Kirkwall, they shouted their support of his words. He then told me to wait for him at the docks. He said he would follow once the mages had started fighting the Templars."

Hawke feels the anger building in her towards this First Enchanter she has never met ratchet up another few notches. Orsino had been weak in his management of his charges, more concerned in fighting against Meredith; he had forgotten his role as mentor to the mages leaving them without proper guidance. She had only given him support because Meredith had invoked the Rite of Annulment; he had turned to blood magic because he perceived it as the only way out. In many ways Orsino had been a weak man, but he had cared about his Circle mages. Santiago cared nothing for his, cared only for his own needs and desires. This man had incited mages to go against rules that had been in place for centuries, just so he could escape his own web of deceit, not for any grand plan of gaining freedom for mages or escaping the tyranny of a Knight Commander gone mad with power. She did not know if he had managed to escape, but if he had, she was glad to have taken from him the man he planned to take with him.

But what of Harral? Isabella had told her she was responsible for him and she now felt the weight of it. She had brought him on board, possibly against his will, believing she was saving his life. In addition, what of Templar David? If he survived the battle and found out they had Harral with them, would the brokenhearted Templar come chasing after them? She remembered Ander's friend Carl, pleading with them to kill him rather than let him return to his tranquil state. Maybe she should have left Harral to die also; there was no way to know what his true wishes were. Anders and Justice were not here to reconnect Harral with the Fade for the few moments it would take to find out.

"What would you like to do now Harral?" she asks him, wondering if the question has too much emotion implied in it for him to be able to tell her.

He looks at her, his face remaining flat and unmoving, "I would want to have purpose."

It was more of an answer than she expected, "What can you do?"

"At the Circle I worked with lyrium. I can enchant items." Hawke smiles as she thinks of Sandal and how much she misses him and Bhodan. This man is not the same as the childlike dwarf, but he is equally devoid of guile. "I have also read many books. The First Enchanter did not have time to read, that was my purpose when he did not require me for other tasks."

"Would you be willing to work with us on the ship?"

"It would be a purpose." Not sure if he has really answered the question, she pushes him further. "Don't you want to go back to Antiva City and be with the Circle?"

"I would no longer have purpose there. First Enchanter Santiago is dead or has left, until a New First Enchanter is selected, I will have no purpose. That would be wasteful."

Hawke feels a little better about Harral; at least he seems content to stay here. This is the best she can do for him. If only there was a way to give him his magic back. If Anders was here they might have been able to explore possibilities, but Anders was not here and he would probably just tell her it was not possible. A great pity, maybe if she'd had him focusing on trying to reverse the impossible he would not have spent so much time planning to blow up the Chantry and making things impossible for her.

Llomerryn is as different from all the places they have visited so far. No harbour walls or stone docks. Four wooden piers stretch out far from the shore, a small man shouting at them from the longest to direct them into a space where they can berth. Ships of all sizes and styles are anchored up and down the piers. A constant flow of traffic in and out. Many of them flying a flag depicting a white skull, a flash of red paint over the eye sockets.

"What does the flag mean? It looks familiar." Hawke asks as she stands at the wheel, carefully manoeuvring the ship towards the space allocated, Isabella at her shoulder, watching every movement.

"Ah that...yes. I forgot about them."

"What do you mean you forgot about them? What are they?"

Isabella sighs, "'Raiders of the Waking Sea' Hawke. Biggest organised pirate band in Thedas. If you're not with 'em, you're agin 'em."

Hawke narrows her eyes and tries to stare at Isabella whilst not taking her eyes off the wheel, "They wouldn't also be known as just 'Raiders' would they?"

"Oops! You noticed that." If it weren't necessary that she needed both hands on the wheel, Hawke would gladly have strangled the woman.

"Isabella! We saw off a whole pile of those people in and around Kirkwall and what about Martin, your friend the poisons provider? Wasn't he an ex-Raider? Doesn't that put us in the category of 'agin 'em'?"

"You worry too much Hawke. This is my hometown, they love me here. It'll be fine."

"Isabella! You are avoiding the question! If they find out who we are, aren't they going to be just a tiny bit pissed? You have not been here for years and you've been fighting against them all this time. They will need to love you an awful lot to overlook all that."

"Just you concentrate on getting the ship docked properly. I know how to deal with them. Careful, pull her over a little to port side." Hawke adjusts the wheel hoping that she did not see Isabella's face turn pale when she caught a quick glance at her.

"Maker Isabella, I hope you don't mean having 'alone time' with all of them. Have you noticed how many ships fly that flag around here? There must be hundreds of those pirates here. I'm not sure we could stay here for that long."

"Hawke, have a little more faith in me, there are other ways than that to do it...although as a last resort..."

"If there are other ways, would you mind sharing them with me?"

"Just dock the damned ship will you? None of them know who we are, so just keep quiet and everything will be fine!"

Isabella barks out orders to the rest of the crew as the ship nears their mooring point, effectively stopping anything more Hawke might have to say on the matter. Once the ship is berthed, Isabella sends Hamahakis off to find Argo and his crew. Gathering the rest of the crew, she gives orders to Dalan and Garp to stay on the ship for now and advises the rest to take shore leave.

As they walk up the pier, Isabella spots the ships from Rialto and they know Gianna has made it. Llomerryn is a city of wooden buildings built on stilts. The largest ones lining the shorefront, made up of taverns, brothels, homes and warehouses spreading out, becoming smaller and smaller before the buildings at the edges are no more than shacks. As they get closer, they begin to make out wooden pathways like bridges connecting them all, many people running along as they go from place to place. All four piers meet the shore, which is alive with traders and stall holders, the market bustling with people buying and selling, men laughing and grunting as they unload crates from ships. They can hear the rise of voices shouting and calling out, what they are saying getting clearer as they near the shore. Although none of the stalls are as decorated or large as those they saw at the market in Antiva City, the quality of the goods they sell are every bit as good and have come from all over Thedas.

Hamahakis and Argo walk towards the large group as they step off the pier. Hawke sees Argo has changed; the little man walks taller and has started sporting a tricorn hat. His way of indicating his new found status as a ship's captain.

"I need to find Gianna first," says Isabella turning to Hawke, "You, Fenris and Argo come with me. The rest of you, go and have fun and try not to get killed."

Hamahakis immediately grabs Orana's hand and they run off together laughing. Charade looks at Varania and pleads with her to come shopping with her as she had missed out last time. Pawl lumbers off into the nearest tavern, the new crewmembers following behind. This place has no stenches like Rialto, no veneer of serenity like Antiva City. It is lively, loud and chaotic, a bit like Isabella. Hawke sees Harral left standing alone,

"Is there anything you would like to do while we're here?"

The man stands looking blankly at her, "I am not capable of having 'fun'. I would return to the ship and find purpose there."

Hawke feels at a loss, the man seems unable to feel enjoyment in anything. He only gives out a sense of contentment when someone has given him something to do. She knows Isabella will most likely dump him here to find his own way back to the Circle at Diarsmuid. She feels guilty that she cannot seem to do any more for him. Slowly an idea begins to take shape,

"Go round the market Harral; see if you can find any enchanting equipment for sale. Meet me back at the ship once you've found it." The man nods at her and wanders off.

Isabella starts walking towards the largest building on the seafront. As they approach Hawke sees many men and women entering and leaving, most of them wearing armbands with the same skull and red stripe that she had seen on the flags and their clothes are the same style as Isabella. All of them armed to their teeth. She can't help but stare as one man passes them, his ears, nose and mouth covered in piercings. The gold attached to his ears so heavy that his lobes have stretched and reaches down to his jaw line. Gold chains cascade down his chest. He looks back at her, his dark eyes moving up and down, before turning away from her a look of disgust on his face. She looks round to see people looking at all four of them, they look at Isabella with approval, Fenris gets many admiring looks, even Argo gets small nods. It is only when they look at her that their faces grimace and they look away. Isabella sees the look of hurt on her face and laughs at her, "This is Rivain Hawke, piercings and tattoos are a sign of status. You have neither. We could fix that while we are here." Hawke pales a little wondering how much pain she might have to go through just to get people to stop looking at her as if she is no better than the dirt on their shoes, "Let me think about it."

They enter a large room, dark and smoky, filled with people sitting at tables, laughing and drinking. A group of musicians sit with fiddles and accordions, playing a lively tune that carries up to the rafters. Hawke can barely make out several dark corridors leading away and stairs that lead up to a walkway lining the room with more corridors spreading out into the darkness. Isabella speaks with the bar tender and then indicates they should follow her up one of the corridors. Hawke turns to see Fenris talking with a waitress,

"Are there big beds in the rooms here?" The waitress gives him her best sultry smile and sways her hips at him,

"Enough space to accommodate us and a few friends if you wish." Fenris scowls at her and swears under his breath as he leaves her giggling at his back.

The corridor is long with many closed doors on either side, the candles in the wall sconces providing scant light to see where they are going. The noise of the common room fades as they walk along. Isabella leads them to a door at the far end and knocks three times before entering. The wood panelled room furnished only with a square table and benches on all four sides. The only light is from the candle that sits in the centre of the table, the flame wavering as a man wearing the distinctive armband stands and bows at Gianna before moving past them to leave the room.

"Glad you could make it Isabella. I assume your little problems in Antiva City have been resolved." Gianna stands up to clasp Isabella's hands, "Let me introduce Barzal, he is now captain of one of our ships."

They all look towards the dwarf who sits on the bench beside Gianna. Isabella bursts out laughing,

"A dwarf captain of a ship? Gianna, have you taken leave of your senses? Dwarves won't paddle in bathwater let alone captain ships!"

Barzal lets out a long low growl as Gianna grins back at Isabella. "He's quite a find believe me. Why don't you tell your story Barzal?"

Gianna waves at them to sit as the black haired dwarf grunts and coughs, staring at them and pulling at the braided lengths of his beard before giving them his tale.

"Not much to tell. My folks were kicked out of Orzammar for stealing. I had four sisters when we got to the surface; some bastard slaver took them all. Heard they were put on a boat. Became a sailor on many boats, travelled every sea trying to find them. No sign. Gianna says you lot are going to Tevinter. There are a couple of ports I haven't checked there yet. Gianna has known me a long time. Seen me passed over for captain's job many times. The first one not to laugh when I applied for this one."

Gianna smiles at him, "Barzal's been a customer of mine for years. Always came to see me when he landed at Rialto." She tugs gently at his braids, rubbing her nose on his, mindless of the embarrassed rumblings that come from his chest and the redness that rises from his neck and up his whole face."Didn't you dear? What he is not telling you is he is the best navigator in the whole of Thedas. He might be a bit slower to run up rigging than anyone else might, but as captain, he doesn't need to do that anymore. The crew we took on at Rialto laughed as well, but they are not laughing now, they would follow him in to the Feral Fjords if he asked them."

"She's not wrong Isabella ma'am." pipes up Argo, "I worked with Barzal of a time, he's damned good at pricking 'is sword into them what needs it an' all. Nearly as good as elfy boy here." Hawke feels Fenris stiffen at her back, clearly at a loss at how to respond to the insulting compliment.

"Well Barzal, if Argo recommends you, you can't be that bad, but a dwarf as a captain? This I have got to see." Isabella sniggers. "What about the other ship, have you got someone for it?"

"Sorry Isabella, no one in Rialto that Barzal said I could trust. I hired a man to get the ship here, but he's heading back to Gwaren."

"We'll need to see if we can find someone here." Isabella turns to look at Argo, "On the plus side, Antiva City was a successful operation. I've got us another ship and this is the chap that's heading up that one." Argo directs a wide grin at Barzal, who grunts and nods back at him.

"You're turning out to be an even better partner than I thought you'd be Isabella. This venture might actually work if we can get it started." Gianna's face becomes serious as she clasps her hands in front of her. "There is one more problem before we can get it going. I've been negotiating contracts all morning for the ships, but the man you saw leaving was not looking for that kind of deal." She sighs deeply, "A representative of the 'Raiders of the Waking Sea'. It seems if we do not join up with them, they will take the time to make sure every piece of cargo from every ship we have will never make it to its destination. I know that pirate raids might be something you feel you can defend your ship against, but there are the other ships to consider and there is always the chance that they will succeed in carrying out the threat. There are an awful lot of Raiders Isabella. We could lose everything; I don't wish to risk it."

"Bloody Raiders!" Isabella spits, "They've changed since I was last here. Their idea of negotiating skills was 'I'll have that'. There was no 'representative' telling you how he would bash your skull in before he did it! Since when did they get this organised?"

"A Raider named Damian has been one of their principle leaders for many years now. He has them targeting all merchants for protection payment now, not just the wealthy ones. That is why the representative appeared when they heard I was negotiating contracts. I hope you can help. I have enough coin to pay for the refit of the ships, but no more."

Isabella whistles when Gianna tells her how much it will cost, "I'll need a few days. I have some cargo I will need to off load first. I just hope it will be enough."

"There is one more thing Isabella. When we cleaned up those ships, one of the girls found some papers. One of them is the contract they had for the slaves they had to collect. Here, take a look."

Gianna hands her a scroll, which Isabella opens and reads before handing it to Hawke, "Looks like we might be a step closer to finding that buyer you're after."

Hawke reads the scroll with growing revulsion as it details how much coin the slaver will receive for each live child delivered and each dead one, more coin for elven children and the bonus he would receive if he managed to deliver the large amount of children he asked for. One of the names signed at the bottom reads...'Lucarius'."

She hands the scroll to Fenris to read trying to remember when she heard that name before. She is still wracking her brain when Isabella and Gianna finish their meeting. She barely hears Argo tell Isabella he will stay and talk with Barzal if she 'din'nt mind'. When they leave the room, she is distracted, still trying to recall where and when she heard the name. It is not until they reach the entrance to the tavern before it comes to her.

"Orana!" she shouts and promptly bumps into Isabella's back, Isabella having stopped suddenly at the top of the stairs. She looks round her to see a very large crowd of people, all wearing the Raiders armband, in a large semi-circle around the bottom of the stairs. Effectively blocking their passage forward.

A small man steps forward shouting, "That's them! I told you I saw them! They are the ones that did it!"

Fenris turns to Hawke as he reaches for his sword, "Is there anywhere in Thedas we can stop at where we won't have to fight?"

Hawke reaches for her staff, small sparks evidence of the spell she is ready to unleash, but the crowd seems reluctant to come forward, only a few hardy souls even reach for weapons. What kind of pirates are these? The crowd just stares at them. Hawke knows the fighting will probably start if they move forward, but there are an awful lot of them and she is reluctant to start something she might not see the end of this time. She knows the others feel the same as the moments pass without any movement on either side. Then there is movement from the back, she can see the crowd parting as a man walks through with an easy relaxed stride. A tall man, his head shows above the people moving to let him come towards them. As he nears, Hawke sees the near perfect musculature of his dark skinned arms covered completely in tattoos. The muscles on his chest, seen when his bearskin jerkin opens, ripple as he walks, showing off the many more tattoos he has painted there. His short, dark hair and tidily trimmed beard cannot hide the lines of a square jaw line. His deep brown eyes show no concerns as he comes towards them to break through the edge of the crowd and stand in front of them,

"It's been a long time Acantha." He says to Isabella whose daggers have dropped to her sides and is standing with her mouth gaping open.

"Aleksandros?" Isabella whispers.

The man gives small laugh, which Hawke thinks sounds like the rumble of stones falling in a landslide, which might just crush them if they are not careful, "Damian now. You are not the only one who can change their name."

He walks round all three of them, looking each of them up and down, "Interesting friends you've brought along with you." He continues to walk round before coming to a stop in front of Isabella, his large fists placed firmly on his hips.

"So what have you done with my ship?"

Hawke peeps round to look at Isabella who is decidedly un-Isabella like. She is just standing staring at the man, just...breathing. No snark, no laugh, no batting eyelashes, no hip swaying, no chest thrusting. She is standing looking...deflated? Well, her chest certainly looks like it. What is wrong with her? This man is tall, dark, handsome and very muscular, exactly Isabella's type of man. Prime meat for her to use her wily ways to get them out of this sticky situation, yet she stands and does nothing.

"Stuff your ship! What have you done to Isabella?" Hawke cries, forgetting in her shock at Isabella's state that she should not really be aggravating this man.

The man throws back his head and roars with laughter. Some of the crowd joining in with muffled titters. When his laughter fades, Damian turns to the crowd giving broad sweeps of his arms, telling them to move on, there is nothing here he cannot deal with. He looks at Hawke, "You better bring her along and follow me, they will be back if I'm not seen to be dealing with you."

Hawke looks to Fenris who shrugs, "If we go with him there's only one to fight, the odds are a bit better." She takes hold of Isabella's hand and guides her as they follow Damian to a stilted house at the rear of the tavern. He leads them into a sitting room as opulent on the inside as it looked dilapidated on the outside. Indicating they should sit he pulls out a bottle from a cupboard and fills a large glass and puts it in Isabella's hand who gulps down the lot and puts her hand out for a refill. He laughs as he fills it to the brim once more, leaving her to drink more slowly.

Hawke looks up at him, "You called her Acantha."

The big man smiles, "Yes. Yes I did. That was her name when I first met her, a long time ago now." He sits down in a large easy chair opposite Isabella and looks at her the whole time he talks with Hawke and Fenris. "Who'd have thought that at long last she would turn up here?" A look of wonder on his face.

"I was young, perhaps a bit stupid, but when I first saw her, she stole my heart. Dressed in rags she was, no piercings, no tattoos, nothing. A girl at the very lowest level of Llomerryn society. I was among the highest, Llomerryn society being based on your ability to smuggle, cheat, steal and kill. No nobles in this place. My family had a ship as well, so we were well up there. I would have had no trouble claiming this beauty had it not been for my brother. Jealousy is a terrible thing."

The bang of Isabella's empty glass on the arm of the chair, prompts Damian to reach over and fill it up again.

"My brother and I never got on, he was the elder twin and he never let me forget it. Twins we might have been, but two brothers so different in looks and temperament you could not find and he was the eldest. Everything changed when Pa died, my brother inherited the ship, inherited everything, I was left with nothing. Still was not enough for him though, he wanted her as well. Not that he thought anything much of her, just couldn't stand the thought of me having her."

Isabella bangs the empty glass on the arm of her chair again and Damian rises to fill it again, she issues a muffled "Tank yoo" and returns to her drinking.

"Her mother was a right old bitch. Easy for my brother to persuade her to sell her daughter to him. They say it is a marriage contract, but make no mistake, he bought her. A stupid goat and a few coins might not have been much, but back then, I had no way of matching the price. I did not wait for the wedding, and I ran. Went out with the Raiders, smuggled, stole, cheated and killed until I had gathered enough coin to contract a Crow to kill that bastard of a brother of mine. Trouble was when I got back here, expecting to get the ship and the girl, I find she has ran off with it. Broke my heart she did. Nothing else for me to do, but go back to the raiding. I'd hear tales about her, fucking her way through half the men in Thedas, but never ran into her until now."

There is the sound of a tap of Isabella's glass on the side of her chair before she falls to the side unconscious.

"What was that you gave her to drink?" Hawke asks concerned.

"Finest Antivan brandy, what else?"

"Maker, she'll be out cold for hours." She turns to look at Damian, "What plan have you got to deal with us? It might not be as easy as you think, you sent all your friends away."

Damian plants his hands on the arms of his chair to stand up. "I haven't said this in a long time to anyone, but I don't plan to do anything with you. I would rather hear how you came to be here with my long lost love and how the Champion of Kirkwall managed to stop all Raider activities on a large part of the Waking Sea."

Hawke looks at him distraught, "You know who I am?"

"Oh yes Messere Hawke! Although I must admit, it was not until Weasel pointed you out that I pieced it together. Let me just get us all some refreshments and you can fill me in."

Once he has left the room Hawke turns to Fenris and whispers, "You grab her and we'll leave right now!"

Fenris laughs back at her, "No way. I will not be able to fight all those bastards out there with only one hand if they choose to attack us, besides, this Damian is giving away all the little secrets she has hidden from us. I like him, let's stay and see what else he can tell us."

Damian proves a remarkably attentive host and Hawke finds herself letting her guard down and relating their story so far as Isabella drunkenly snores in the background. His easy way and infectious laughter loosens their tongues and Hawke cannot help but like this mountain of a man. He seems to bear them no ill will for having taken out the Raiders around Kirkwall, just laughs as they tell him the story. Fenris relaxes even more after Damian tells him of Hadriana passing through Llomerryn,

"Absolute bitch that woman. Wouldn't pay the fees, fought us all off with blood magic, and captured a good many of the people round here before she left. None of them ever made it back. That's why those folks back there didn't go for you. That cow was the last time they saw magic used here, made them a little wary. Good job on ridding the world of her."

They talk until late and the sky turns dark. "We had better wake her up and get back to the ship." Hawke suggests to Fenris.

Damian puts his hands up to them, "Can't let you do that just yet. If you go out there those guys will just give you a hard time. Give me some time to put out the word that you are all right, that you have done me a great favour and they will leave you alone. Stay here, the bedroom next door is better than anything you'll find in any of the taverns."

Hawke is about to protest about using the man's bed for the night when Fenris stops her, "Is it a big bed?"

Damian laughs, "Sure enough, it's a very big bed. No idea how comfortable it is, I usually end up sleeping in this chair. Being high up in the Raiders is a precarious place to be. There are murmurings that I am getting too soft, too many merchants paying up leaves them fewer to relieve of their wares. Mayhap they are right. It will not be too long before someone puts me out of the game. I will keep watch over this little lady; I would like to talk to her when she wakes up. Might be there's another way out for me."

"You still love her don't you?" says Hawke quietly.

The big man sighs, "Just because they break your heart doesn't mean the lovin' 'em stops, eh?" Hawke glances at Fenris and Damian sees it, "I see you two know all about that. Go and enjoy the big bed."

Hawke wakes in the morning to find herself perched at the edge of the bed and Fenris spread-eagled over the rest of it snoring gently. She cannot remember if there was ever a time when she woke up first or saw him sleep so deeply. She can hear the sound of voices in the other room. Creeping about the room, she gathers her clothes, finds the washroom, and dresses quickly. Creeping back through the room she opens the door a crack to see Isabella and Damian staring back at her.

"Oh for crying out loud Hawke, come through. I won't bite; the hangover's not that bad." Isabella snaps at her. The hangover might not be that bad, but Hawke knows it is not that good either if she is snapping back at her. At least Isabella has found her tongue again and looks more like her normal self.

"Sit down; I'll get you something to eat." Damian rises to leave the room. Hawke cannot believe the man has not slept; he looks as fresh as he did when they first saw him the day before. Hawke sits and looks at Isabella raising an eyebrow.

"Oh don't be smug, it doesn't suit you. I apologise for yesterday. I just never thought I would ever see him again. It's been so long."

"Have you kissed and made up yet?"

"Hawke, don't make fun of me. Not this time. It is too soon. He's changed. I've changed. I don't know." Her eyes plead with her, "I need some time. Is there any way you can give it to me?"

Hawke takes her hand in both of hers, "What do you need me to do?"

"You were there when we spoke to Gianna. Aleks...Damian can keep the Raiders off our backs here in Llomeryn, but there is no option but to pay those bloody fees if we want them to stay away when we leave. Even he cannot do anything about that. Speak to Argo, get him to sell what we have, get the coin. Anything else can wait."

"I'll get it done." She reassures her, "You're going to stay here then?"

"If nothing else, he's an old friend. I owe him. If I had only known it was him that had got that greasy bastard done in... He killed his own brother for me Hawke. The only person who has ever done something that big for me is you. So...yes, I will stay here. We'll see what happens."

"I smell food." Hawke turns to see Fenris standing in the doorway, nothing on but his trousers, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. Maker, she will have to find a way of getting them a big bed.

Hawke and Fenris leave Damian's house with reassurances that they will not be accosted again, not by Raiders anyway. Hawke finds Argo back at his ship pouring over maps, "Thinking of leaving without us?"

He looks up open mouthed at her, obviously horrified that she would even suggest such a thing, "No, no, no, no, no M'Lady. Could not leave Isabella Ma'am now. She made me Cap'n. Just chekkin' route for next part. Don' wanna be crashing into rocks like. Bad for ship. Need me for sumpin'?"

"Isabella's...busy right now." Argo immediately scrunches up his face and tries to wink at the same time, "Isabella Ma'am's a reg'lar busy lady."

"Not that kind of busy this time. She needs you to do your trading thing, get the coin together for those fees."

Argo blows through his lips while putting his hands at his back, "I'll do my best M'Lady, but I 'eard how much them fees are. Not gon' be easy. Left Antiva too quickly. Not enough stuff on board. Pirates here don' like to pay much for goods, fig'r they can get it for free if they want. Doubt we kin get all of it. Hoped she had other means to make up shortfall. That not all M'Lady. Seere next place we can skip in at after 'ere. Long way if'n we got no supplies."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Absolootly M'Lady. Coin from sellin' will cover supplies only. We got four ships to gear up 'member?"

"Shit!" she rubs her hand over her mouth. "Have you any idea what Isabella does when she needs more coin?"

"Sorry M'Lady, ain't bin runnin' with her that long. Always had enough 'fore now."

"All right. Look, you do the selling and make a list of the supplies we need. I'll find the coin for the fees."

As they head back to the ship, Hawke thinks furiously how she might get more coin to pay the fees. In Kirkwall, they would have taken on mercenary work, but she doubts there is much call for that in Llomerryn. As she walks up the gangplank, Dalan greets her,

"Glad you're back messere, that broken mage you brought on board came back yesterday and has stood there ever since. Said he was waiting for you. Won't do nowt else."

Hawke curses herself for having forgotten all about the man, as she sees him standing beside the door of the Captain's cabin. The man takes no heed of her apologies, just looks at her and waits for her to stop talking.

"You told me to find a trader with enchanting equipment to sell. I have done so; this is the price he asks." He states as he hands her a piece of paper.

She grabs him round the neck and kisses his cheek, "You are brilliant Harral! If this works we'll be able to leave in a few days!"

"Not sure if I like you kissing other men in public Hawke." Fenris frowns at her, "How is this going to help us to leave?"

She grabs his hand and pulls him down the stairs towards their cabin, "They boast that you can buy anything you could ever wish for here at Llomerryn. What is the one thing you cannot get?... Enchantment!" she stops before opening the door, "And we've brought with us the only means of getting it done, without having to travel for days."

She enters the cabin to go down on her hands and knees to pull out the lockbox Varric had given her from under the bunk where she had asked Carver to put it.

"It might not be a good idea to have Raiders using enchanted weapons. If we have to fight them again it wouldn't be as easy." Fenris points out as she sits on the bunk ready to open the lockbox.

"If we get the coin for the fees, we won't have to fight them; we'll be Raiders as well. It also sort of makes things up to Damian for the ones we took out at Kirkwall." He sits on the bunk beside her,

"I thought Isabella's business venture meant we would no longer be pirates?"

She smiles back at him, her eyes twinkling, "Doesn't look like it. Isn't it fun?"

He shakes his head, "You had better be right."

"Are you ready to open the box?" she looks at him expectantly.

"What do you mean? It's just a box." He looks at her puzzled as to why she hesitates to undo the lock and why she is asking him if it is all right.

"This is not any old box Fenris! This is our box. This is all the coin we have. I have no idea how much is in it. I never looked. I just hope there's enough to get the equipment for Harral."

The puzzled look does not leave Fenris' face, "I still don't understand what you're talking about, what is it with the box!"

Hawke sighs and puts her hand to his cheek, "You married me, and everything I own is now yours. Whatever is in that box belongs to you as well as me. Our future is in that box. I had thought we would keep it to help set us up a home when we stopped running around Thedas. I'm asking you if you are all right with us using it for this?"

Fenris sits stunned. He has never owned anything except for the clothes on his back and his sword. Any coin he ever had, left his hands as quickly as he found it in them. He had never thought that he would have any say in his future, content to follow Hawke and whatever she was doing. Coin put aside for a future was a strange concept to him; he struggled to stay in the present most of the time. Unsure of his feelings other than reassured that Hawke planned a future with him in it, he nods his head, "Go ahead, and open it. I don't suppose we'll have a future beyond this place if we don't find some way to pay those fees."

Hawke takes a deep breath before opening up the wooden chest, hoping that there is enough to get them out of this. Both of them gasp as the lid thuds back on its hinges.

"Maker! Varric told me I was still a wealthy woman, but I never thought there would be this much." She puts her hands in the box letting gold coins fall through her fingers. She unfolds the letter attached to the lid and smiles on seeing Varric's handwriting,

"Sorry this is all I could get for you on such short notice, friend. If you are ever back in Kirkwall, look me up for the rest. Tell Broody he can close his mouth now.

Varric."

"Damn how I miss that dwarf!" Hawke says wiping her eyes. Fenris puts his arms around her surprised himself at how much he had come to count on Varric as his own friend.

"Come on, take what you need and let's see how much Harral can do with it. At least we know paying those fees won't be a problem if he doesn't make it."

Any fears that Harral would not make enough for them are gone after the first hour. They went back to the vendor, got Harral his equipment, and set it on a table at a small space in the market. It took only minutes after his first customer for word to get round and a crowd to develop around them. Each of them carrying boxes, bags and lumps of smuggled lyrium for Harral to do his work. Fenris standing at his back looking menacing at those who would try to push their way forward in their desperation to have their weapons and armour enchanted.

Hawke watches enthralled as Harral quietly and efficiently enchants everything placed in front of him. The amount of lyrium that is now on display testimony to how little control the Chantry has over the trade. Fenris has to shout over the crowd that they will return the next day, when it becomes clear that Harral is exhausted and needs to rest, although no word of protest has passed his lips. Varania comes to stand beside her,

"The smith just asked if Harral can set up next to him tomorrow. Says he will sell even more weapons if he is standing next to him. My brother has said he wants to know more about smithing since he started bashing about with hammers on the ship. I told the man if he let him work with him for a couple of days we would do it. Do you think he would mind?"

Hawke watches Fenris chasing away the last of the crowd, "I think he would like that a lot. I know he enjoys repairing the weapons on board and gets frustrated when he cannot get it right. I think he would like learning a few secrets from a proper smith." She turns to Varania, "An interesting gift for him, have I missed his birthday?"

Varania gives a small sigh, "Slaves don't have birthdays." Hawke frowns wondering if she has hurt or offended the elf woman by reminding her of her slave beginnings.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"Don't be sorry Hawke. You were not the one who enslaved us. I just thought my brother might find it useful."

The next day sees them reach their target and go beyond it. The crowd around Harral never seems to go down, as people leave, more people arrive, fights breaking out occasionally in their desperation to get to the front. The smith swaps one of his own apprentices with Fenris to watch over Harral. Hawke spends the morning watching them from the side. Fenris looks as he did when she was teaching him to read, concentrating hard, listening to every word the little dwarf says. Frowning when he does not understand something, smiling when he does. Varania had been right to arrange this. She had not appreciated how much he enjoyed learning something new. Killing Danarius had only been another step on his way to finding what being free meant. Watching him, she understood more about what being a slave truly meant.

That was when she remembered she wanted to talk to Orana. So caught up in what was happening with Isabella and Harral she had forgotten about the name on the contract for the child slaves. Leaving Fenris and Harral to continue what they were doing she heads back to the ship, hoping she will find her there. Pawl is swabbing the deck when she arrives, having returned to let Dalan and Garp get some onshore time.

"Have you seen Orana?" she asks. He just nods and continues his work without raising his head.

"Is she on board?", again, he nods and continues sweeping the mop back and forth.

"Where is she?" The sweeping stops and he looks at her before raising his head to the crow's nest. Hawke follows his gaze and realizes she should have known all along. Putting her hands to her mouth, she calls up. "Orana?"

The elf woman's head appears over the rim of the nest quickly followed by Hamahakis, both of them hair tousled and looking decidedly flushed. Hawke laughs up at them and asks Orana to come down when she is ready.

Looking back at Pawl who gives her a small grin before returning to his sweeping, she shakes her head. Fenris might complain about the small bunk, but it has to be better than that place. How did they manage?...Up there?... No, she does not want to think about it. Getting some privacy on a ship was hard. She is impressed by their creativity and their lack of vertigo.

Orana comes to stand beside her at the rail, her head bowed and hands clasped in front of her,

"I'm sorry mistress, it won't happen again." She whispers. Hawke is shocked by seeing once again how quickly ex-slaves return to passivity when they think they have done something wrong. She had thought Orana was beginning to come out of her shell when she chided them any time one of them messed up the clean ship. How hard it must be to break away from other people controlling your life.

Hawke stands with her arms folded looking curiously at Orana's bowed head, "That would not be a good thing. If you want it to happen again, you go ahead. I'm sure Hamahakis would be deeply disappointed if he thought it was to stop."

Orana lifts her head in surprise, "Really? You're not angry with me?"

Hawke smiles, "Why should I be angry? You two have really been quite inventive. Isabella will probably ask you for tips now."

Orana's lets out a sigh of relief. While her cheeks flare red.

"I'm sorry I disturbed you, but there is something I wanted to ask you. At the wedding, when you asked that we find your Poppa, you said that a man called Lucarius would be his master now. Who is he?"

Orana blinks at her, "I don't know who he is. Hamahakis was the one who told me. Maybe he would know." She turns towards the man who is standing at the prow of the ship, trying to look nonchalant. He jumps when Orana calls him over and looks to Hawke as if he is rehearsing apologies in his head, but squaring his shoulders as if ready to fight his corner with Hawke. He visibly relaxes as Orana explains.

"I never met him. I only ever heard the name mentioned once. Danarius took me with him when he signed papers. I heard them say that Lucarius would take over if Danarius died. That's how I knew he would be the Master now."

There is no more information that Orana or Hamahakis can tell her about Lucarius, but a connection has been made between Danarius and the child slaves. Can the man still be causing so much horror from beyond the veil? Fenris can tell her nothing when she asks him on his return to the ship with Harral. It is Varania who is able to give her another grain of information.

"Hadriana mentioned the name once before she left for Kirkwall. She said when she returned she was going to challenge him in the arena. She said that Danarius would have to take more notice of her then."

"Challenge him in the arena? What does that mean?" Hawke asks.

Fenris is the one who answers, "Magisters challenge each other to duels. The duels take place in the Circle and all the other magisters gather to watch. It is quite an event. Sometimes the Archon will attend. They place bets on what spell will end the contest. The winner will claim everything the loser owns so they are rare. Mostly magisters with nothing will challenge ones who have much. Senior magisters relish these challenges as a means to show off their prowess. A junior magister stands to gain a lot if they win, but that rarely happens. Danarius was challenged once when I was with him. It did not last long. He killed him with his first casting."

"So these are duels to the death?"

"Always."

Hawke feels her skin crawl. Magisters fighting each other and it was looked on as sport. A day's pleasure outing to watch mages kill each other. Most spells were defensive, shields, sleep, healing. The few offensive ones seldom killed outright. Danarius must have been more powerful than she thought, or the mage who fought him was uncommonly weak. Left to fight him in the 'Hanged Man' alone, would she have stood a chance? It was Fenris who killed him, not her. She and Anders together had merely weakened him so that he could. The man had sent wave after wave of demons and walking corpses at them, if Varric and Isabella had not been there to help out, would they ever have walked out of the 'Hanged Man' again? The thought of the arena sends slivers of fear and doubt through her. Always her friends had been with her when caught up in these confrontations. If she had to face an adversary like Danarius on her own...She turns from the dark thoughts. These are the situations which could force her to blood magic and that is unbearable.

"Did Danarius ever mention having children, an heir?"

"No, but I heard talk that he had a wife living in one of his remote estates. It's likely this Lucarius is his son, but he never spoke of him in my hearing."

"Danarius had a wife?" Hawke exclaims.

Fenris laughs grimly at her, "Magisters marry too, though seldom for more than status or a seat on the senate. Providing legitimate heirs may be the only other reason. Lucarius may be the product of their liaison."

"If that is so, Danarius must have been signing his will when Hamahakis saw him. Hadriana must have known and for some reason thought she could be made heir if she killed him, but you got to her first." Hawke sighs, knowing there is little to be gained by speculating. "If this Lucarius is Danarius' son, then it seems he is as big a monster as his father."

"He may be worse Hawke, Danarius never put out a contract for child slaves."

The next few days sees the crowds around Harral begin to diminish at last. Fenris persuades the smith to spend more time with him. Varania starts measuring them all up for new clothes. Hawke sends Orana and Hamahakis to a tavern to spend time together in a less lofty setting. Argo and Barzal team up and start finding the crew they need for the ships. Argo gives Hawke a list of supplies that they need and she learns why Argo enjoys the haggling so much. Charade turns up covered in piercings and tattoos, barely recognisable, sporting clothing that Hawke thinks is far too close to Isabella's style and decides she does not want to know how she got the coin for it all. Hawke meets with Gianna who tells her the ships are ready and the Raider's fees are paid.

There is nothing left to do. They can leave Llomerryn. It is time to go back to Damian's home and see Isabella. Hawke thinks she has done well to give Isabella the time she asked for and hopes it has been enough. Just as she is about to leave to go and find her Isabella appears, striding up the gangplank, Damian at her back and issuing orders to crew as she comes. She is not smiling and Hawke wonders if she might still be suffering a hangover, or at least bearing the brunt of a new one. Hawke feels deflated; she has not worked this hard over the last few days so that Isabella could lose herself at the bottom of a bottle and resolve nothing with her old friend. Damian looks serious as well, what have the pair of them been up to that they look this grim? She had thought that when she saw them next they would at least have smiles on their faces. Isabella snaps her fingers at Hawke and Fenris and indicates without a word that they should follow her and Damian into the captain's cabin.

Isabella stands with her arms folded as they come in and demands Hawke report to her on how things stand with the ships. Hawke looks at her curiously, Isabella is never this...angry? She knows her friend gets pissed off, but she has never seen her this curt with her words or downright rude to her. She starts relaying quietly to Isabella all they have done since she last saw her. Isabella nods at each update Hawke gives, but there is no indication whether she is pleased or not, happy or unhappy, approving or otherwise. Hawke feels her anxiety rise when she sees the telltale glow from Fenris' tattoos begin to appear. She finishes her report to Isabella who gives a harrumph as acknowledgement of her having finished.

Isabella stays still and quiet for a few moments before abruptly informing them,

"Good, all I have to do is check on the crew Argo and Barzal have got. Damian will captain the fourth ship. We leave tomorrow."

Fenris can take no more, "You absolute bitch! Hawke should be the one you make Captain! She is the one who has been running around doing all the things you should have been doing! You have not seen this man in years! Is this a reward for having fucked you senseless in the last few days?"

Hawke puts her hand on Fenris' forearm, "It's all right, and I don't want to be a captain." He turns towards her, his tattoos clearly glowing now.

"Makes no fucking difference Hawke! That ungrateful bitch has used you for the last time! I warned her I wasn't as forgiving as you!" he turns back to Isabella, "What is wrong with you? This is your friend and you can't even say thank you!"

"I told you, you weren't ready." Damian says quietly as he looks at Isabella.

Isabella's eyes close as she puts her head back to face the ceiling of the cabin, she clenches her fists and screams so loud that Hawke is sure the whole of Llomerryn hears her cry. "THIS BASTARD WON'T HAVE SEX WITH ME!"

Fenris' tattoos suddenly stop glowing as surprise replaces his anger and there is a moment of complete and utter silence before Hawke bursts out laughing. "Oh Damian, I thought you two wanted time to get to know each other again. Did you have to go and break her?" she sits down holding her sides, still laughing and wiping tears from her eyes.

"It's not funny!" Isabella cries. "This is the longest I've ever gone without something warm between my legs! And what is your problem elf? You know damn fine Hawke's not ready to be Captain of a ship?"

Hawke shakes as another burst of laughter escapes her, "He knows Isabella. He just wants the big bed!"

Isabella glares at her as Hawke struggles to get her laughter under control. Fenris flushes and Damian loses his grim facade as he stifles his own laughter that is threatening to burst from him.

Isabella sits and gathers in her frustration, "I'm sorry Hawke. Fenris is right. You have done everything right, better than I deserve. I'm angry at him," she nods at Damian, "and I'm angry at myself. Let's start again."

"Oh no Isabella, you don't get out of it that easy," Hawke looks up at Damian, still trying not to laugh, "Explain yourself Ser, this does seem unusually cruel. You can see she is suffering. Why would you deny her and yourself?"

The man chuckles, "It is a hard task indeed Messere Hawke, I won't let her near me until she admits that she loves me. It is possible that whilst very good at sex, Isabella will never learn about love. I will not go near her without it. I have agreed however to follow her where she goes until she does. It might take some time."

"You're leaving the Raiders?" There is no further need to try and control giggles as incredulity takes its place.

"No, I'll always be a Raider, just not one of the leaders any more. Gave them a bit of a shock. Leaders normally only leave because they have stopped breathing. I've decided I like breathing." Hawke's eyes widen, curious as to what has passed between these two and wonders if finally they have met the man up to the task of taming Isabella.

"So all you have to do is tell the man you love him?" Hawke looks directly at Isabella, wondering why she will not do what she needs to do and scratch her itch immediately.

Isabella bows her head. "I've never told anyone I love them. My mother sold me, married me to a beast of a man and the man I thought loved me ran away. I have 'issues' with it. I am not sure I know what it is. I refuse to say it until I'm sure."

"But you're happy to have this man follow you wherever you go. Won't your 'alone time' upset him? That would be unusually cruel of you."

Isabella mumbles something, but Hawke cannot quite make out what she has said and asks her to repeat it,

"I've agreed to give up 'alone time'." She says speaking more clearly, but very quietly.

Any laughs, giggles or titters that might have been left in Hawke flee when she registers what Isabella has just said.

"Did you just say what I think you said?"

"Yes I did Hawke now leave it be. I'm not repeating it again."

"Tell me if I've got this right. You," she says looking at Damian, "are willing to give up all you've achieved with the Raiders to follow Isabella who might never tell you she loves you. While you," indicating Isabella," are giving up sex for Damian and you might never be able to tell him you love him and so never have sex again?"

Isabella looks at Hawke, the water of unshed tears building up in her eyes, "I thought you of all people would understand this Hawke. You waited for Fenris for years, never knowing if the hate that choked him up would ever go. We were not blind Hawke, watching you two skirt round each other was painful. Give us the same respect we all gave you."

"Anders never did." Fenris spits out.

Isabella looks at him pitifully, "You are such a stupid bastard sometimes elf. Anders backed off. If he picked at you it was with the shards of his own broken heart." She shakes her head, "All I'm asking is that you let me see if I can mend mine."

Hawke stands up, accepting that her friend has taken an unexpected turn in her life, "Take all the time you want Isabella, if this is how you want to do it, who am I to say different? But please, do not make it any longer than it has to be, you are too cranky. The boys are going to be very disappointed at the loss of time spent with their Captain; they might not tolerate her being too much of a bitch as well. Damian, I hope you know what you're doing, I'm not sure I like Isabella without her wily ways."

"My wily ways are still intact! He does not stand a chance Hawke; he will give in long before I do. When he does, there is always his cabin. What do you say Grumpy? Have the big bed here if it means that much to you. I won't be needing it."

Fenris closes his eyes and sends a silent thank you to whatever Gods might be out there to hear it.

Hawke smiles as she sees Isabella pick up her usual stance, hands on hips and chest thrust out. The changes the last few days have made in her more subtle and only those who have known her a long time would be able to spot them.

"All right then. I am going to see what reprobates Argo and Barzal have collected and what contracts Gianna has negotiated. If you could show our latest Captain to his ship, Hawke, I would appreciate it. Fenris, I strongly advise you to get clean bed linen from Orana before you try out your new sleeping quarters." Isabella marches out swaying her hips and deliberately rubbing her body against Damian as she passes. He closes his eyes and it is clear he wonders himself how long he can hold out. Isabella's wily ways are definitely still intact.

The sun is setting over Llomerryn when Isabella returns, a small elven boy in tow.

"Remember him Hawke?"

Hawke looks at the boy, scrawny even by elf standards. At first glance, she has no idea who he might be, then as he looks up at her his eyes widening, she remembers his hair brushing against her neck and the warmth of his tears as they fell on her skin.

"Gianna's grandson?" For all the boy is whippet thin, he looks healthy. She must have poured more healing into him than she thought, as there are no sign of the scars that she was sure he would bear on his limbs for the rest of his life. The boy steps forward to throw his arms round her legs and clings on to her. Hawke looks down and her hand gently touches his hair feeling the difference now it is clean and not matted and stuck slick to his skull.

"Gianna has asked that I take him on as a cabin boy along with two others for the rest of the ships. I did not refuse her. He is the reason Gianna wants to do this. A pretty good one I think."

"Isn't he a bit young to be leaving home for a life at sea?" Hawke asks looking at the boy who seems unwilling to let go of her.

"Rialto is an unforgiving place. Gianna says the Crows were eyeing him up already. She thinks his chances of survival are better with us. She wants him to learn everything from the bottom up."

Hawke kneels down, gently unwrapping his arms from her legs, "What's your name?"

The boy slowly lifts his eyes to look at her face, taking time to overcome his awe at seeing once again the woman who lifted him out of hell. "Alano." He whispers as if afraid that making the sound will make her disappear. There may be no scars on the outside, but this boy still has many hurts on the inside from his experience in Rialto.

"Reminds me of a boy I once knew." Varania says as she comes to stand behind Hawke, "Let me take him, I'll show him round and get him a comfortable spot to sleep in."

"Not before I get him something to eat, he looks half starved." Orana joins in.

"You've not to spoil him! He's here to work." Isabella shouts as the two elven women each take one of the boy's hands leading him to the galley. All three look back at her and Hawke knows in that instant that Isabella will not win this battle. The boy will be lost to the coddling they will give him. As they move down the stairs, the boy still staring back, Hawke warms at the thought that his experience of being on this ship will be so much better than his last.

"Harral could teach him his letters." Hawke states tentatively, knowing if Isabella agrees then Harral might be allowed to stay with them.

Isabella shakes her head in resignation, aware that for the moment, nothing is going to go the way she wishes, "I'm tired Hawke. If you think he should stay, then he can stay. He has helped us out; maybe he has earned his place with us. I just find him really creepy. I have always hated seeing tranquils, they always seem to me like people with all the fun sucked out of them. Sex with them is very...mechanical."

"You didn't! Oh Isabella, that is a new low even for you."

Isabella shrugs, "I was curious, Harral was there. He didn't say no."

"I'm not sure that he can. Are you sure that you can?"

Isabella looks at her frankly, "Not sure at all Hawke, but I am sure that I won't be going near Harral again. Curiosity definitely sated on that point. Tranquil sex is far too...tranquil. Well friend, since I now have time to do other things, how about we go for a drink?"

Hawke hesitates to answer, glancing at the door to the cabin, "I think Fenris has other plans."

"Oh you cow! Just rub it in and in my own dear, sweet shag shelter as well! This whole denial thing is going to be so much harder than I thought."

Hawke smirks at her, "You could always go over and tell the man you love him and put an end to all this self inflicted torture."

"Tempting, but for once in my life I think I'd like to do something right and not dive in with my legs wide open."

Both of them startle when from the pier a voice shouts out, "We'll get you now that the big bastard is out of the way!"

Looking over the rail, the man Damian called Weasel stands with a group of determined looking individuals all armed and desperate for a fight. Hawke casually takes hold of her staff and aims the largest sleep spell she can muster towards them. To a man, they all fall down with the sounds of various thumps and cracking of heads on the wood.

"Why did you do that Hawke? That was my plan B for alternative entertainment this evening."

"Thought it might be nice for Fenris to have one place he can leave without having killed someone. Why? Afraid your blades will rust up as well as your..."

"Hawke! Fighting, fornicating and falling down drunk are my favourite pastimes; you have managed to put a stop to all three! Go snuggle up with 'not quite so broody as he was boy' and leave me to wallow in my misery without your cutting observations."

"Is that an order Captain?"

"Yes minion! Off you go, I will see these guys get home safely once they have had their beauty sleep. With luck they will object and the evening won't be a complete loss."