Chapter 7: Crab salad
It had been a couple of weeks since she had seen Hawke and his merry band. Well, that was a lie. She'd actually glimpsed them a few times out and about, and even at the hanged man, but soon hid from their sight. They really weren't her kind of people. Far more trouble than she needed.
"Your call, cousin." Aeron tossed in a few silver to the growing pile on the table and waited for the solemn looking elf to respond. "Kharis?"
"What?" He looked up, dazed and confused like a startled rabbit.
"It's your call."
"I uh… creators I can't do this!" Kharis was on his feet, sharply, tossing the cards in his hand on the table as he made a break for the hovel door.
"Oh no you don't!" Aeron had him by the back of his ghastly fancy groom shirt, quicker than he could flee, and tugged him back into a well worn chair.
"Please cousin! This is madness!" He was pleading, trying his best to escape her hold whilst she tried desperately not to wrinkle his shirt too badly. "I don't even know the girl!"
"Yeah, yeah." Aeron shrugged, finally pinning him into place with her knee. "You know you had weeks to leave the city before hand. Besides, grandma and your mother would kill me if I let you out of my sight."
"Oh creators." He was crying now. Grandma owed her five silver. "This can't be happening to me. What if she is ugly?"
"You saw the sketch they sent of her."
"Yes but that was a sketch! What if the artist lied?"
"Then you're fucked."
"Oh great help you are, cousin." Kharis thrashed uselessly against her once again. "Let me go. I am sure I can make it to a ship and-"
"What's going on in here?" Grandma appeared in the doorway, lips pursed in sour bliss and annoyance. "Aeron you're creasing his blouse! Get off of him."
"He was trying to escape."
"I was not!" Kharis lied much to Aeron's horror.
"You two better behave. Your mother and I have been working hard to organize this for weeks." Grandma immediately started slicking down Kharis's mess of wild black curls. "Everyone has been looking forward to this. And Aeron, you better not be wearing that."
"What's wrong with it?" Aeron tugged her dark tunic back into place. "It's the nicest thing I own."
"What about that dress you brought home the other day? The lovely orleisian silk one with that beautiful detail."
"Uck. You mean that thing Juliannah made for me?"
"Go and put it on." Grandma pointed a threatening finger to drive her demand home. "Now!"
Not wanting to face anymore wrath, Aeron quickly departed to her room to discover some humiliation. The dress was the most hideous thing she had ever seen. Why did no one else see how truly ghastly all that orleisian puke was? Maybe there was something wrong with her taste. No, that couldn't be it.
Stripping out of her nice clothes she hastily threw the fitted dress on and tried not to think about how horrid it looked. She could put up with this, just for today, it was Kharis's wedding after all. Nothing could out do the utter misery he was experiencing. At least that thought was a gift that just kept giving and made her chuckle happily every time it graced her mind.
It wasn't long until things were beginning to get underway. The bride to be arrived in the early afternoon giving her and Kharis a chance to exchange pleasantries and terrified stares for several minutes before the chantry sister arrived to complete the bonding ceremony. The entire Alienage was there, all gathered around the courtyard as witness to the blessed event. Creators knew how they all managed to score the day off work but people really could achieve amazing feats for the offer of free food and a little dancing. The elves home really hadn't looked so nice in such a long time. The place had been tided, decorations put up and lanterns hung from the great tree that stood tall and proud in the center of the courtyard.
Aeron was surprised to even see the newest resident of the Alienage had come out to join the excited mingle of elves. She was a shy dalish elf nobody had really seen much of since she had arrived but apparently weddings really were the best place to socialize.
As the ceremony began, everything went suddenly quiet as if all the air had been sucked out of the world. It was strangely eerie but also spectacular to witness. The intended stared unblinking at the sister in front of them as she preached about the Maker and Andraste and all that boring religious stuff. Both were too terrified to look at one another for longer than the briefest of glances. Kharis was even swaying gently like a tree catching the wind. As they moved on to the part of the ceremony where words were exchanged there was a worrying moment when the bride began to speak her agreement and suddenly stopped to hold back the desire to vomit. Kharis looked ready to bolt at the pause but several hands, belonging to the women in his family, held him rooted to the ground. No getting out of this one.
When it was finally all over, and the sister congratulated them on their union, bride and groom leaned in for the most awkward of first kisses what was quickly followed by an all mighty cheer from the elven crowd; eager to get the party started. Kharis and his bride were quickly ushered away to a quiet corner, to make room for the tables and chairs being brought out accompanied by barrels of ale and assorted nibbles, giving the pair a chance to get to know one another. It wasn't long before the band started playing and the party hit full swing; everybody apparently having forgotten the newly weds.
"That didn't go too bad." Aeron shrugged to her aunt as they placed trays of mini pies on a long table. "I really thought we would lose him when she started to vomit."
"Poor girl. Can't be easy arriving in a new place."
"She's from Fereldan right? At least she'll have plenty of other Fereldan's to mingle with." Aeron picked up a pie only to have it smacked out of her hand.
"Those are for the guests."
"Yes aunty." She sighed away from the table of yummy things and took a sneak peak at Kharis and his Fereldan lady giggling in a corner. He must have brought out his collection of cheesy jokes. At least they were starting to get along.
Turning back to the party, she straightened her sickening dress and stared at the crowd in cheerful wonder. It was nice to see everyone having a good time and getting along; that kind of thing didn't happen much in the Alienage. Looking around further she spotted her grandmother talking to several eligible young elf men accompanied by their mothers and occasionally pointing over at her. Creators please don't be matchmaking you stupid old woman, she pleaded with any deity currently listening. One of them had to feel sorry for her.
"Um… you are the grooms sister aren't you?" The shy dalish girl had snuck up behind her making Aeron jump. "It's a lovely party. I'm so glad I was invited. Though everyone was invited weren't they? Oh I'm rambling. I'm Merrill by the way."
"Aeron." She nodded back at the peculiar elf finding her eyes tracing the tattoos on her face in curious fashion. "I am Aeron that is. And I'm Kharis's cousin."
"Oh I'm always getting things wrong. I'm new here. Well you probably already knew that."
"Hmmm. We don't see many dalish in the city. There is Arianni, I think she used to be dalish."
"Really? I should probably introduce myself then. Would be so nice to talk to someone who understands the ways of the true elves."
"…. She's over there." Aeron pointed out the ex-dalish amongst the crowd, currently fussing over her teenage son Feynriel, before she snuck away from the odd elf to find a quiet spot.
It was to no avail though. Her grandma was bee lining for her dragging some helpless victim to a gruesome death. He wasn't a bad looking elf but Aeron really wasn't interested and thankfully, by the alarmed look he was giving her, grandma's latest sacrifice didn't look to eager neither.
"Aeron, I'm glad I found you." Grandma began as she tugged the elf man to her side. "This is Meyer's son, Darrian. You should have something in common."
Darrian made a grunting noise that could of meant anything and Aeron quickly returned it with a similar guttural sound. With that, grandma turned and stalked away, finding Darrian's mother at the opposite end of the courtyard and immediately started plotting horrible things neither of the offspring would like. They were of course expected to dance and chat or something.
"Drink?"
"Creators yes!" Darrian exclaimed as they went to find ale or something stronger.
As the afternoon wore on, everybody getting drunker and louder in the process and night soon descended upon them, Aeron was utterly exhausted. She'd been obliged to dance twice and have numerous conversations with single men her grandma had practically thrown at her. The interest level was nil for all involved which was about the only thing she had in common with any of these men. Grandma had finally gotten exasperated, however, and given up completely; thank the creators. She'd run out of single men with willing mothers to persuade. She's got one of us married isn't that enough, she sighed into her drink.
The sky was dark now, stars twinkling above the party without a cloud in sight, and the lanterns hanging from the great tree glowed in such an enchanting manner. Everyone was happy, even Kharis and his bride were dancing around to the band joyously, and the evening felt perfect. Aeron smiled, leaning against the wall besides the stairs and watched dancers bob up and down to the music.
"I had not realized the Alienage was prone to sporadic festivals."
"It's a wedding." Aeron sighed, spotting the wash of white hair having appeared to her right. "My cousin just got married."
"Then congratulations are in order." Fenris leaned besides her, his arms folding as he took in the scene. "I… have been thinking."
"A dangerous pass time. I'd do it carefully or your head might explode."
"Vhendis woman." He frowned. "I have been thinking about us. Our situation. You were good to me and I was not the same to you. I meant what I said before. I will make it up to you. I am… I do not know how to proceed so I decided to come and ask you directly. What do you need of me?"
"Another drink?" She held up her empty cup to him making him snort with amusement.
"If you wish but I do not believe for a second something so trivial will wipe away my debt to you." He shook his head taking her cup and disappearing to find wine for them both.
Aeron watched him go with mild fascination. It was strange to see him here, now, and something wholly unexpected to the day. Perhaps she should try expecting the unexpected though that seemed an impossible task. As the white haired elf negotiated the crowd, carrying two full cups in each hand, Aeron noticed the way several young women paused to look him over and giggle to one another in girlish desire. He was handsome, she'd give him that but that was something dangerous to be when at a wedding. It was only a matter of time before… and there she was. Grandma had clocked him like a hungry tiger on the prow.
"Your wine." He offered her a cup, which she eagerly took and gulped down.
"Don't look now. My grandma is coming this way."
"Your grandmother?"
"Yes. And she will start matchmaking. The women here are crazy."
"Perhaps I should go." He looked around for somewhere to drop his drink.
"To late now. Smile." She hissed under her breath shocking him into a pained expression that sort of resembled a smile.
"Who is this, Aeron?" Grandma looked the stranger up and down, cataloguing everything about him. "I have never seen him before."
"This is Fenris, grandma. He's from tevinter."
"Seheron." He corrected. "I just… lived in tevinter for a time."
"A foreign elf? And rather handsome too…" She added that last bit as if it were meant for her ears and no one else's. "Well you can't just barge into a private party uninvited. And after the wedding too."
"I apologies I was not aware-" He began his excuse only to be cut off by the wave of the old woman's dismissive hand.
"It has happened now." Grandma's eyes twinkled with devious scheming. "You will just have to make yourself useful and dance with my granddaughter. Can't have you both making the place look untidy over here."
"Grandma!" Aeron began her protest.
"If that is what it will take to clear my offence." He bowed slightly to the elder elf then held out his hand for Aeron to take. She didn't have a chance to refuse anyway, grandma yanked her arm up and practically shoved her onto Fenris before she knew what was going on.
"Creators… I'm so sorry about this." Aeron muttered to Fenris as they walked towards the crowd of dancers.
Oh just my luck, she fumed as the band finished playing their lively rendition of 'Shake a wizard, lick a toad' and moved onto a slower number. As if this could be anymore embarrassing and retched. No wait, she was also getting glared at by every free woman and her mother in attendance.
"Fuck me…"
"What?" Fenris was somewhat alarmed by the explicit.
"Nothing just…. My dress is pissing me off." She made up, taking his offered hand as they began some sort of waltz dance thing. She wasn't sure, dancing really wasn't something she did much; if at all. "Haven't worn one since I was a little girl."
"The pattern is orlesisan?" He shrugged, trying to remember the steps to the dance. At least Danarius had, had him learn a few normal things of use.
"Yes. Horribly orlesian. It's ghastly. I plan on burning it when this night is over."
"That is a shame." He chuckled briefly, before concentration flooded his features once more. "It looks good on you."
"Hmmm." She grumbled looking away to hide a slight blush. Why was she blushing? Maybe it was the wine. That was it; it was all the wines fault. "You seen that Hawke fellow about?"
"Yes." Fenris attempted to twirl her only to confuse his dance partner and cover for her awkward stumble. He wouldn't try that again. "We work together regularly. He often needs help with various jobs. I believe he and Varric are attempting to fund an expedition into the deep roads soon."
"The deep roads?"
Aeron couldn't believe how much they ended up talking about that horrid Hawke fellow and worse still she was actually enjoying the conversation. It wasn't until someone tapped Fenris on the shoulder that they even remembered they were still dancing.
"If you two dance any longer grandma will start planning the wedding." Kharis grinned as he parted the two. "You've been dancing for nearly an hour and neglecting me, cousin."
"Ugh." Aeron grimaced at her cousin's horrid attempt at a pout. It might work on aunty and grandma but not her. "Why don't you go talk to your wife some more and find out what her favourite colour is?"
"It's blue. That was the first bit of information we exchanged after we were married. Then she told me all about her parents, Fereldan and her pet rabbit Fifi that her family ate one winter and mentally scared her for life. If she wasn't so pretty I would have slit my own throat by now."
"That is a great deal of information to find out after you are married." Fenris was confused. "Did you not know all this before hand?"
"No. I only just met her today."
"I…" Fenris was struck dumb as he mulled this information over and attempted to make sense of it.
"It's an arranged marriage Fenris." Aeron jumped in, rescuing his brow from permanent wrinkles. "It's a swap with Denerim's Alienage so we don't get all inbred."
"You have my commiseration." Fenris nodded to the groom who shrugged back uncomfortably.
"I should be getting back to Nessa. My mother has been trying to convince us too retire in doors for the last two hours."
"You poor dear." Aeron rolled her eyes. "I hope she isn't a virgin so it's at least somewhat interesting for you."
"Haha!" Kharis chuckled gaining a spring in his step. "If you hear someone screaming out my name-"
"For once I won't come running with my sword." Aeron waved him off as her cousin returned to his blushing bride.
"Arranged marriages." Fenris sniffed. "It seems so…"
"Barbaric." She finished for him before groaning into herself. "Grandma is back…"
"You two are getting along nicely." Grandma's wolfish grin was really starting to get scary. "But you cannot stand here in the middle of the dance floor doing nothing."
"We were just talking to Khar-"
"That's nice." Grandma pulled on her granddaughter's cheeks to redden them then slicked her hair into something neater. "You should bring Fenris around for dinner sometime. Now carry on. Dance."
As grandma disappeared back to her lair, to huddle with the other crazy women and plot things, Aeron turned back to Fenris with a disenchanted look.
"Drink?" He rumbled.
"Yes." She nodded gratefully as he led her towards the makeshift bar. "I am so sorry about her…"
"You are lucky to have such caring family."
"That Fenris fellow seems like a good catch. And he's an elf too."
"Grandma, marrying some elf won't make my children pointy eared." Aeron sighed over her breakfast. She had a thumping headache from too much alcohol the night before and a bad case of regret.
"Well it's better than you with some shem."
"I am a shem."
"No you're not." Grandma was getting annoyed. She didn't like shem at all.
"Grandma look at me. I'm not an elf. I'm the bastard child of some human my mother whored around with."
"Don't talk about my daughter that way. She was not a whore!"
"No she was just crazy and slept around with creators know who then took me out one day and-"
"Don't. I can't. " Grandma stood, pushing away from the dining table.
"Can't what? Hear the truth?"
"I'm not listening to this."
"She took me out to the coast and-"
"Don't you dare! I can't do this. I won't listen." Grandma retreated to her bedroom and slammed the door closed behind her.
"Grandma…" Aeron sobbed feeling the oppression of the room, the house, the world in general. She had to get out before she started clawing the walls down around her.
As she got out of the house it still wasn't enough, the tears were still coming and the feelings catching up with her. Before she knew it she'd broken out into a run, up the stairs, turning corners going creators knew where. It wasn't until a brown mass of fur appeared in her blurred vision that she finally stopped but only because she'd tripped over the huge mabari and skidded to a halt on the floor.
"Maker! You poor dear." A woman exclaimed somewhere to her left. "Carver, quick, take the shopping inside and start boiling some water."
"But mother… Aeron?"
"Stop dawdling." Leandra shooed her son away before bending down to help the fallen woman up. "Can you stand? Oh that's a nasty looking gash on your knee. We'll have to clean that."
"No I'm fine. Thank you." Aeron tried to coax her way out of the woman's iron grip but soon found she needed her after all to take the weight off her bleeding leg.
"Obviously not. Come on. We're just up the steps here." Leandra helped the hobbled woman up the stairs to her home. "Come on Bounce you great lumbering… tsk. I'm sorry about him. He gets much too excited when we take him out and just ends up under everyone's feet."
"Whine." Whined Bounce, feeling very sorry indeed.
"I noticed." Aeron sighed as they made it up the stairs and into a nicer hovel than her own. "But I should have been looking where I was going."
"We can sort out blame later. First things first." She helped the injured party into a creaking old chair. "Carver, how's that water coming?"
"Heating, mother." Carver stared at the boiling pot as if his glare would will it to an adequate temperature.
As they waited for some warm water, Leandra quickly set about finding bandages, salves and a pillow. With two boisterous boys in the house all the items were readily available and in great quantity. This was not the first time she'd had to deal with a badly scraped knee.
Helping Aeron lift her leg onto a second chair, she pushed the pillow under the injured woman's foot for comfort and soon began the task of cleaning the wound. It was pretty deep and full of debris but the gush of blood was more for show than a sign of any permanent damage. Aeron hissed as salve was rubbed onto the gash followed swiftly by a bandage wrapped with well-practiced hands.
"You are much better behaved than my two boys." Leandra smiled motherly as she tied the bandaged tight and stood back to admire her handiwork. "Always wailing and screaming when they need something looked at."
"I am not that bad mother." Carver grumbled as he took the seat next to Aeron, placing a fresh pot of tea between them. "It's Garrett that makes all the bother."
"You should rest here a while before running off. Have some tea." Leandra fussed. "You look like you could do with a hot drink." She smiled then left the two alone having business of her own to take care of.
"Mother likes to fuss." Carver poured her a cup of steaming hot tea, pushing it haphazardly towards the other warrior.
"Hmmm." Aeron hummed as she sniffed the contents of the cup then closed her eyes to embrace its depths. "You're lucky to have her."
"If you say so."
"You really are a tit."
"I-" Carver was caught off guard by the statement having not realised how flippant he was being. "Sorry I'm just used to… it doesn't matter." They sat in companionable silence each sipping their beverage for a time. "Why were you running?"
"Hmmm?" She looked up from the groove in the table she had been picking at. "Nothing just… things. I just wanted…"
"To get away." He finished for her. "I feel like that sometimes. Most of the time really. Things are so different here."
"That they are."
"My brother expects me to sit around twiddling my thumbs here night and day. Protecting mother from uncles debt collectors and generally minding the chickens."
"Sounds like my cousin. He's always in trouble and of course I have to clean up after him and chase all the scum he trails into the Alienage out."
"Family!"
"I second that." They shared a mutual glare at family troubles.
"So it's just you and your cousin?" Carver took another sip of his tea.
"No. Aunt and grandma too."
"What about your mother and father?"
"Never met my father. Don't even think my mother knew his name." She shrugged. "Not seen my mother since I was nine maybe ten. Not even sure if she's alive or not."
"Why not?" He was curious now.
"We were captured by slavers along the wounded coast."
"You were a slave?"
"No. Not me. I was saved that fate by… well some strange scabbing on my body. The crew on the ship we were on thought I had a disease or something and tossed me over board just to be sure. Best thing that could have happened. When that cold water hit me it was like being reborn. All the haze lifted. I never felt so alive before. Maybe it was just the adrenaline. I don't know. I'd lost so much weight by then I easily slipped my chains and kicked to the surface. That first breath burned my lungs but by the creators it felt good to be alive."
"You swam back to shore?"
"No. I was too far out at sea. I found an old barrel and threw myself over it. Never felt so tired in all my life. Couldn't tell you how long I floated there. Just waiting. I remember it getting so cold my whole body went numb and then burning hot as the sun burnt and blistered my skin only to start the cycle again. At some point I was picked up by a passing ship. Pirates no less. They nursed me back and I spent nearly ten years with them, repaying them back for my life."
"You were a pirate then? Like Isabela."
"Who?" She raised an eyebrow in question.
"She's a friend of ours. Well a friend of Garrett's. She used to be a pirate captain or so she says." Carver finished his tea. "Sounds like you've had an interesting life."
"You don't know the half of it." She chuckled and stood, testing out her weight on the bandaged leg. "I should get home."
"Do you want me to walk you?" Carver made to stand but she stilled him with a hand placed on his shoulder.
"I can manage but thank you." She smiled and before she knew it leaned in and kissed his cheek. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. "For everything. And the tea." She patted his shoulder once then made the most graceful walk she was capable of out the front door; completely unaware of the way he would hold his cheek after she was gone.
