Kirkwall - Tenth of Frumentum 9:31 Dragon

.

.

.

A strange crunching sound brought Bethany out of her slumber and a flicker of light through her eyelids compelled her to open them. A candle was lit and she saw Marian in only her small cloths, sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, scribbling on a piece of parchment with a lump of charcoal, while munching on a carrot.

"Still hungry?" She asked croakily.

Her sister looked up and grinned happily at her. "Hello. I am famished! Do you remember that boy in the village who ate so many carrots he turned orange? What was his name?"

"Willum?"

"That's the one. How many would you have to eat before you get like that?"

Bethany shrugged. "A lot." She sat up, swung her legs from the bed and put her feet on the floor. "How long have you been awake? It's not even light out."

"Don't know. My stomach growling woke me up. I ate all the bread, and the eggs, and the ham."

"I see. So what are we going to have for breakfast?"

"There'll be some workers at the docks soon. I'll get something from them." Marian pushed herself part way off the floor and then collapsed back down with a thud. "Ow."

"Oh yes, you are certainly in a perfect state to go wandering the streets at night." Bethany shook her head as she got up and walked over to where Marian was sitting, and crouched down in front of her, letting her gaze wander over her sister's toned body.

"What are you implying exactly? I've wandered the streets at night many times!"

"Ah, but, you're not… yourself right now." She placed one of her hands on the floor and bent slightly to look at the parchment, then put a finger from her other hand in the middle of the paper and spun it around to look at it the right way, and lifted it up.

It was a drawing of a boat on the sea, possibly at night; her only indication of that was a star in the sky. The image was fairly simplistic, except the cabin on the boat had a leaf on the side. She didn't like the immediate thought she had at seeing the picture, as boats are generally only associated with one person they knew. "It's very pretty." She said without sincerity.

"Thanks, I worked hard on it." Marian hadn't picked up on her tone.

Bethany put the drawing back down and stood, holding out her hand for Marian to take. "Does it mean anything?"

"It's a secret." Her sister replied with a smile and took the proffered hand.

Bethany yanked Marian up roughly and let the appendage drop once she was vertical. "Right." She nodded curtly.

She didn't want to feel the burning jealousy she had, it was irrational and being aware of it wasn't helping. How could she compete with Isabela? The pirate was more forward with what she wanted, she had a sultry charm, her rhythmic, swaying hips could distract most people, and her breasts were the most impressive she had ever seen. Then, of course, Isabela wasn't Marian's Sister. Why would she even bother competing?

"What's the matter?" Her sister asked, tilting her head like a puppy.

"Nothing." She gave her a forced smile.

"I don't believe you. Is it your heart?"

Bethany snorted quietly. Marian was under the impression that her heart was unnaturally fast, because whenever her sister listened to her chest, that's how it sounded. And the only reason it would beat so rapidly, was because Marian was so close. And that is what happened when the older Hawke grabbed hold of her, pulling her closer, and clumsily bumped her head against her breast. "My heart is fine!" Bethany said with a hint of panic, and tried to pull away but she always forgot how strong sister is, and she kept the grip, forcing her cleavage to get squashed into Marian's face, and her entire body tensed up.

"You see, it's beating fast." Her sister said without moving. "And it's getting faster."

Well, of course it is! "It's nothing. Can you let me go now please?"

Marian dropped her arms, and straightened up. "Maybe we should go and see Anders about it."

Bethany relaxed. "Right now?" She smiled.

"Why not?"

"Because we might die. And there really is nothing wrong with me. I think the cookies we ate at Merrill's gave me a heart burn."

Marian squinted at her unconvinced, but accepted it. "Very well." She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, and sighed.

Bethany gave a crooked smile and put her hand on her sister's cheek, brushing her thumb over Marian's lip. "Stop sulking. We can still go to the docks."

Marian grinned and kissed her thumb. "This is why you'll always be my favourite person."

"Of course it has nothing to do with you being able to manipulate me with your sad little face." She cocked her brow as she removed her hand, savouring the tingling sensation from her sister's lips.

"No." Marian gave her an offended look. "It has nothing to do with that. It's because you love me more than anyone else."

"I do." She nodded.

"I suppose it's lucky that I love you more than anyone else too."

"Yes. I suppose it is."

They managed to get to the docks, barter with the shore men for some bread and eggs and a small square of the fancy, smelly Orlesian cheese Mother likes, and get back to Gamlen's without being attacked. It was an honest to goodness miracle. So naturally Marian decided to push this luck by convincing her to go to the Hanged Man.

Three steps from their Uncle's hovel and it started pouring down with rain, and it would've been so easy to just go back inside. But no. Her sister just had to go to the bloody tavern, although why this was necessary at three o'clock in the morning was anyone's guess. She couldn't just let her go alone though, because luck only went so far in this damned city, and they were bound to get jumped at some point tonight, and she thought it would be a good idea to bring Lug along too.

She wondered why these thugs always attacked. Surely word had spread about Marian and her well armed friends; she'd left a long enough trail of corpses in her wake for people to avoid her. But maybe no one knew what she looked like because everyone who did attack them was now dead. It was hard to pass on important information when you no longer had the ability to breathe.

"Can we hurry it up? I'm getting soaked." She grumbled.

"It's only water." Marian said, still walking at a leisurely pace. "I like the rain."

"I know, but I don't."

"What's not to like?"

"It's wet."

"Exactly." Her sister replied in a distracted tone. "Is that Aveline?"

Bethany squinted at the figure standing outside the Hanged Man. "Looks like it."

"Guard Captain Aveline!" Her sister shouted in a deep voice, and the woman in question turned to look at who had bellowed out her name.

The scowl on her face only barely disappeared when she recognised who it was. "Hawke! Keep your voice down." She whispered harshly.

When she and her sister reached the woman, Bethany asked quietly, "What's going on?"

"There's word of a slaver ring, an informant of mine said they were supposed to be meeting here in the market, but there hasn't been any sign of them. Maybe they won't now anyway, thanks to your sister's yelling."

"Relax Guard Captain Aveline," Marian smiled, "You'll get them; you always do. Even if that means bringing in an outside source to help out. Like us, for instance."

She stared at the older Hawke with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. "Are you drunk?" But before Marian had a chance to answer, she shook her head. "No, you're not. I can tell by how you aren't swinging between morose and snarly." Aveline turned her attention to Bethany with a cocked brow. "So what's wrong with her?"

"Sativa."

The Guard Captain puffed out her cheeks and rolled her eyes. "She was at the house fire earlier?"

"We were, but only she went in."

"The report said that there were two apostates who put out the fire, that was you and Anders I assume?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"It was a good job you were there then. The flames would've easily spread to the rest of the houses. You saved a lot of people a lot of suffering."

"We do good work." Her sister blurted out, loudly.

Aveline huffed, but gave a small smile. "I can't argue with that." She walked over to the steps of the market and whistled a short tune, then three guards came out of the shadows and she waved them away. "We'll have to try again another night lads."

"We're going for a drink." Marian took hold of the Guard Captain's arm and dragged her towards the tavern.

"Hawke, I'm not really in the mood."

"Come on! We'll have a good time!"

She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped, and looked at Bethany. "I have to say, I've never seen her like this, I wasn't sure she even knew what a 'Good Time' was."

The same could be said about you, Aveline. She thought, but just chuckled as a response.

"Oh, all right." The Guard Captain shrugged. "What harm could it do?"

"That's awfully close to 'What could possibly go wrong?' you know." Marian snorted as she opened the door.

Bethany had never enjoyed walking into the Hanged Man as much as she did right now. She gave a quick wave to Isabela, who was perched at the bar, and went to sit at the table by the nice, warm fire, and rubbed her hands together. Lug lay down on the hearth and Aveline plonked herself down ungracefully on the chair behind her, while her sister went to the bar.

"She used to be like this. Before." She said, and even though she had her back to her friend, she could almost hear eyebrows rising in surprise. "Not exactly like this mind. But she was a lot of fun to be around."

"What changed?" The Guard Captain asked softly.

"Father dying. And after she joined the army she became sterner, when she and Carver came back from Ostagar it was like she was an entirely different person, and then having to leave our home with just the clothes on our backs, well," She turned to look Aveline, who gave her a sympathetic nod. "That's the person you met that day, and she's just got worse. I'm honestly surprised Aveline, that you haven't belted her one."

"You put up with family. Even when they're a complete bitch."

"Who's a complete bitch?" Her sister asked, putting three mugs on the table.

"They're probably talking about you, Hawke." Isabela offered as she slid onto the chair next to Bethany, and draped an arm around her shoulder.

"Likely." Marian said as she took the seat on the other side of her sister, and handed her the mug. "Got Corff to make you a mulled wine." She grinned as she passed it over.

"How exactly did you 'Get' him to make that?" She took a sip of the drink and made a contended noise.

"I gave him a silver." And she folded her arms over her chest when Bethany made a face at her. "What? You're cold and wet."

"But a whole silver?"

"Leave her be Sweetness." The pirate leaned in close. "She was being nice."

"I'd take advantage of that if I were you." Aveline smirked.

"I resent that, Guard Captain Aveline."

"Are you going to call me that for the rest of the night?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Aveline laughed. "Fair enough."

A huffing whiney sound came from the floor, and everyone, apart from Bethany, looked down to watch Lug have his dream. The reason she didn't move was because Marian had put her hand on her thigh so that she could turn to look at the hound, while Isabela's chest was pressed up against her back.

There were times, while in bed at night, she had thought about a scenario similar to this, but with much less clothes involved.

"Isabela. I need to see your woman." Her sister said as she returned to her former position.

"You need to see my woman." The Rivaini repeated flatly. "Is this a sex thing? I'm all for it, I'd just like to know."

It better not be. Bethany frowned.

"No!" Marian pulled out the picture of the boat from her tunic, and showed it to Isabela.

"Is that for me?"

It better not be.

"No!" Her sister groaned in exasperation. "Your woman who does the skin drawing."

"Tattooist you mean."

"I couldn't remember the word, and yes, I mean her."

"Uh, okay."

"Now. Do you think she'll be awake?"

"Probably." Isabela answered slowly.

"You're not really going to get a tattoo right now are you?" Aveline questioned.

"Give me one reason why not." The Guard Captain just stared at Marian, and her sister stuck her chin out. "See, you can't think of one."

"What do you think of this?"

The question was directed at Bethany, and she could only think of one thing. "What does it mean?"

"That she secretly has a love for me that is so great; she needs to mark herself for life to prove it." Isabela answered.

"Tell me she isn't right?" Aveline's asked what Bethany desperately wanted to know.

Her sister scrunched up her face in confusion. "Why would it have anything to do with Isabela?"

"Because it's a boat." Bethany pointed out.

"Ship." The pirate corrected automatically.

Marian's eyes wandered for a moment, and then snapped back into focus. "Oh, because you were a captain on a boat."

Isabela growled. "Ship."

Bethany looked at her sister with curiosity as she continued to wind-up the Rivaini about the correct terminology, while Aveline laughed. If the drawing had nothing to do with Isabela, then what did it mean? The only time they'd been on a ship was when they came to Kirkwall, and surely that wasn't something Marian wanted a constant reminder of. For Andraste's sake! This was going to bother her no end. Hopefully it was something innocuous, and for her own sanity that's what she needed it to be.

"Drink up, Bethy!" Her sister demanded as she stood up.

"But why? It's warm here, and I have mulled wine." She sulked.

"Please." Marian pleaded. "I'll make it up to you."

"Fine." She downed the drink in one and then stuck out her tongue because it felt like it was on fire.

"I can't believe you're going to do this." The Guard Captain spread her hands.

"You're such a prude."

"Shut up, Whore."

She didn't know how long they were inside the tattooists, but when they left the dirty hole in the wall that had been the 'Artists' home, the sun had come up. She had hoped to see it done, but the three of them that weren't about to scar themselves for life were thrown out of the room, and had to go sit in the kitchen.

"I really can't believe you did that." Aveline repeated for the hundredth time. "And by someone who calls themselves Boo-Boo! That is not a name that instils confidence."

"So when you get your 'AV loves DH' tattoo, you won't be going there?"

"Hawke." The Guard Captain warned through gritted teeth.

"Will the initials will be inside a big, red heart?" Isabela asked.

Aveline muttered something under her breath and then declared, "I'm going back to the barracks."

"You are a spoiler of sports, Aveline." Marian said with mock disappointment.

"You know, I prefer you when you're a bitch."

"Really?"

"No." She smiled. "But I do have a bit of paperwork to do; I should've been back hours ago."

Marian looked sad for a moment, and then attacked the woman with a hug. "You should take Lug, we don't have anything planned for today, he needs his exercise, and I'm sure he likes to scare your men." She said as she pulled away.

"Okay." Was all Aveline managed, and was still wearing the look of shock as she walked away, followed by the War Hound.

"Well done Hawke." Isabela slapped Marian on the back. "I think you've made her question reality."

"I didn't mean to. Should I go after her?"

Bethany had to grab onto the hem of her sisters' tunic to stop her from chasing after Aveline. "No, you can tell her later, right now I think you need to go to bed."

"But it's daytime!" Marian threw her arms up in the air.

"And you're tired."

"Says who?"

"Says your eyes that are half open."

"I have to agree with your sister Hawke, Boo-Boo says you nodded off three times. People generally don't do that when ink is being burned into their flesh. Speaking of, can I see it?"

"Maybe later. I'm being sent to bed."

The pirate tutted. "I will take you up on that." She said, and gave Marian a flirtatious smile. "I'll leave you two get to bed."

And with a wink, she walked off back to the Hanged Man.

Bethany had to practically drag her sister back to Gamlen's, as she was barely able to walk. When they got back, their mother was up and eating the cheese they had got for her. "Are you two just getting in?" She asked with a warm smile. "Are you hungry?"

"No, we're just going to get some sleep." Bethany gave her a quick kiss.

"Make sure you hide the food we got you from Gamlen." Her sister said as she picked up a small piece of the Orlesian Blue and popped it in her mouth.

"I doubt it'll stay un-eaten for long Love, thank you for getting it for me."

Marian gave their mother a big smile. "You're welcome. Goodnight."

When they got into their room, she got into her nightgown quickly, and as her sister getting herself undressed, she tripped over the bones again. "Bugger." She groaned from the floor.

Bethany giggled and went to help her out. "This was your idea." She said as she pulled Marian up into a sitting position.

"I know. But they're worth eight sovereigns."

"Eight sovereigns is definitely worth you constantly falling over."

"It really is. Now, can you help me take my boots off?"

"I can indeed."

After struggling a bit with the footwear she managed to get them off, along with the leather breeches her sister was having difficulty with, followed by her tunic. She froze as soon as she lifted it over Marian's head; she wasn't wearing anything underneath it, and she swallowed hard, inhaling a shaky breath. There was the tattoo; it started in the centre of her chest, and went up and covered a part of her left breast.

"Do you like it?" Marian asked, wearing a worried frown.

She bobbed her head, moving her hand to touch it, and placed her palm over the skin to let her magic heal, then removed it quickly. "Don't want you to get an infection." She said with manic cheeriness.

"No one takes care of me like you." Her sister looked at her with a softness that made her want to cry.

"I like taking care of you." She replied gently, and got up to fetch Marian her brassiere, more for herself than for her sisters' modesty, and after getting her to stand up, she helped her into it, savouring the thrill as she did.

"Thank you." Marian said after she had been helped to dress, and gently took both of Bethany's arms and placed them on her shoulders, then wrapped her arms around her younger sister's waist.

"What are you doing?" Bethany asked quietly. How could she ever get her sister out of her head when she kept holding her like this?

"Dancing."

"There isn't any music."

"Does there need to be?"

"No, I suppose not." She answered, and let her forehead rest on Marian's.

She closed her eyes in the vain hope that she would have some control, but that wasn't enough, it never was. It left her other senses to work harder. She could hear Marian singing softly, it was a song that she'd heard all her life, and loved for as long. When she was a child, she enjoyed the tune and when she was older, it was the words that moved her. It wasn't a particularly happy song; it was about a woman who was in love with the wind, and she could relate to this woman's sadness of being in love with a force of nature that she couldn't have.

She inhaled deeply; there was still a faint smell of smoke in Marian's hair, and something else, probably the Rivaini plant that had been burnt along with the house. Regardless of this, her sister's scent was still one of the most intoxicating aromas. When Marian had left to join the army, Bethany could only get to sleep if she had something of her sister's on her pillow, but the smell would disappear after a while, from the passing of time and tears she shed, and she would have to wait until she came home on leave before she slept soundly again, and she would always steal an item of Marian's clothing before she left. It was an almost unbearable cycle for nearly two years.

The two of them swayed together and Marian's warm breath caressed her lips, their bare legs pressed together, her sister's hands were on her lower back, and dangerously close to her buttocks, every so often, as they moved she could feel a digit brush against it through her nightshirt. She was becoming more and more aroused, and she let her arms slide down so that her elbows were grazing the soft mound of her sister's breasts, and her fingers could brush against her neck. No matter what, whenever her fingertips touched Marian, she would feel a spark that travelled through her whole body, making her light-headed and flushed and she found it hard to breath, but in the best way possible.

She was addicted to her sister, she knew it, and accepted it.

Marian started to lose her balance from tiredness, so she guided her to her bed, getting in with her, and as usual, her sister pulled her into an embrace, and they faced each other with smiles, and closed their eyes.

In the back of her mind, she wondered about what would happen when the Sativa wore off, would she go back to the cold warrior, or would this be the start of a gentler person? She prayed for the latter, she wanted this woman to stay. Maybe Marian could be convinced to take the drug again. Although that was unlikely.

There had been a fleeting moment during this past night, knowing that her sister's inhibitions had been lowered, that she consider the idea of attempting to seduce her, but Isabela had told her once that there was an art to seduction, and with her experience, it would be more akin to a badly drawn stick-figure. But there was still one thing she could take advantage of, and she was feeling bold enough to do it now.

"Ree?" She whispered

"Mmm?"

"Do you remember that Orlesian box?"

"Of course."

"Do you remember what you said when you told me I should keep it?"

Marian opened her lids half way and moved her hand to cup her face. "You will forever be the most beautiful person I know."

She sighed contentedly, moving herself in as close as possible and then closed her eyes. She felt Marian shift and was suddenly aware that her sister's knee was between her legs. Oh Maker! Her face began to heat up and she was having difficulty breathing. This isn't good. She thought. I won't be able to-

The kiss surprised her, so much so that she was unable to stop the magic from her hands; Marian delicately sucked on her bottom lip, and the sensation of the plump, moist mouth against her own made her head swirl, and the moment she felt her sister's warm tongue brush against her slightly parted lips, she was undone. She was unable to extinguish the mana from her hand, but she knew it would be harmless, and so she ran her fingers through Marian's hair, pulling her in to deepen the kiss, and there was no resistance. Their tongues met, and danced a slow and sensual dance, there were moans, and she couldn't be sure whose they were, she felt her sister's hand move painfully slow across her stomach, tracing the contours of her body, over her hip, down her thigh and finally settling on the back of her knee, and Marian pulled her leg up, so that they could be even more intimate than they already were.

Their entwined bodies fit so perfectly.

When Marian pulled away, her eyes snapped open, and she saw tears streaming down her sisters' face. "What's wrong?" Her voice cracked.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"But is it the same kind of love?"

Bethany almost laughed. "I was fifteen when I fell in love with you."

Marian sobbed, but she looked happy, and she took hold of Bethany's hand that still glowed, placing it over her tattoo. "This," She kissed her briefly. "means us. It had to be over my heart, because I could never give it to anyone else, except you."

Now it was Bethany's turn to cry. "Then I will keep it safe."

"The guardian of my heart."

She smiled, and Marian smiled back. "Yes." She kissed her. "You should go to sleep."

"I don't think I can, not now."

"You can, I'm not going anywhere. Not ever." She moved to lay on her back, and pulled Marian into her the crook of her neck.

They fit. They always will.

.

.

A/N: Okay, so there's a chance this will turn into an M rating, if anyone has any objections to this, please let me know.