Dragon Age 2: Pariah
I Do Not own the Rights to Dragon age, and long odds on me owning 'em to anything else you may recognize.
Pariah 12
Cassandra finished her remaining patrol of the campsite yawning, and looking forward to herher evening. The nightly duty of Watch fell to all in small, mostly uneventful shifts, but with the world in the state it was in, it did not pay to take chances, especially in the Dales. Her Relief caught her and released her, and she ambled slowly to her tent, eager to shed her heavy steel armor, and relaz on her uncomfortable cot. 5 minutes later, and 65 pounds lighter, she tugged her night cloths into place, and folded herself beneath her linen sheet and wool blanket. Settling into as comfortable position as she could, she pulled the little folding table closer, and focused the tin plate behind the candle to better light her area. Then, as was her habit, she pulled out the leather bound book she had been reading in her spare time the last month or so, and opened to her saved page. She was, however, to be disappointed in tonight, for a handful of pages had been ripped out, and a not was threaded into the binding, written in the strangly neat penmanship of the Dwarf who had given her the book.
"Hey, Seeker,
Sorry, but I owe Daisy this much. This is the part of the story where her Keeper got killed, and I am afraid your just going to have to go by my version of what happened. Or, if you do find her, you can ask her yourself, but it is not my place to let ANYONE who she did not personally want to have it, see what her internalized reactions to her exile from the Dalish in the period before Hawke brought her out of it. Let me just tell you what I told Hawke all those years ago in the pub, and that is that this little girl is packing a lot of big, bad things around in her heart, and more than a little crazy. Heh, all Hawke said was, "When has crazy ever been a turn off for me?" Either way we certainly managed to find enough to keep him happy. Hell, in one letter he told me he finally managed a trip to the beach, and sure enough, he was chased off by a armada of demon pirate, poor bastard. Anyway, sorry again for the omission, but like Bianca, some stories aren't meant to be told. Best of luck, Varric."
Cassandra took a second to look at her feelings, and found she was ok, as she herself had a few skeletons in her own wardrobe that she tried her best to forget. It was a personal enough thing that she was okay with being left out, and flipped past the note to the next entry, as she was approaching the end final year the Champion spent in Kirkwall. The page started mid entry.
(*)
… showed up for what must have been the fourth time this week, and with his help, I worked through enough of my own grief that I could leave the bedroom. I had smashed the damned Eluvian two days prior, and Hawke had taken the pieces home to Sandal to dispose of. The whole damned time the thing was just a gate to the cell of a demon. And not just a regular demon, but something worse, that even the Keeper… didn't understand, other than it's bad intent. I have recorded a fairly accurate sketch of the idol it was imprisoned in, and if the opportunity arises, I will research what it was to the best extent possible. Overall, my obsessing days are done, I've lost to much, hurt to many others. After a long, deep period of self reflection, I feel as if I am a new person. Well, I am, sort of. I am a city Elf now, as I have no clan among the Dales. But I doubt as to a demons ability to tempt me anymore, as all I desire is the chance to spend the remainder of Hawke's life spent with him, in whatever pursuits he wishes. I told him as much, and he seemed more anxious that anything.
(*) We were at home today, when Hawke just looked over, like an odd idea had taken him, and asked, "Merrill, would you like to get married?" I was shocked, and mush have conveyed it non verbally. But I thought about it, and after a minute said, "Sure, I think I would like being Lady Hawke in Ernest." We discussed it, and as neither of us were big Chantry attendees, we just put it on recored, and avoided ceremony, as neither had family around, but we did celebrate later with our friends. Varric was quick to point out my rapid change.
"it's pretty spectacular Daisy," he said with his "4 drinks in" grin, "in just one week, you've transitioned from Dalish Elf, to city Elf, to Human Noble." He waved his hand grandly, "I don't think anyone has ever done that before." As far as I know, he was correct, and I really do like being "Lady Hawke," and having family again.
(*)
Hawke… he… I guess you could say… unburdened? himself to me, but not nearly all, but I think he does not know what it is that causes his worry. I have a theory that he does not function on rational thought, but rather an instinctually response to subtle clues that he does not know he picks up. He talked on how bad the situation was in Kirkwall, and how he reflectes on the words of the Witch Flemeth often. He put me to work studying different skills, potion making, herbalism, poison making, and even some minor points in smithing and kit repair. That's why it's been almost two months since I have had a chance to update this. Actually, it's the first night I've not been working until I could no longer read due to exhaustion. Hawke had been outstandingly busy as well, preventing an all out war between Meredith and Orsino. It is actually odd, for each has asked us for a favor that you would expect the other to have been dealing with. Meredith had us tracking down, non-lethally, if you can believe it, and stopping blood mages the First Enchanter.
Well, after all of the chaos, Hawke decided we should have a night off, to try and wind down. He settled on The Hanged Man, and we spent most of the night there. It was nice seeing most everyone when we weren't working. About 5 hours in, I was just to the point of intoxication where I am still coherent, but my inhibitions are lower. At this point Hawke had left with Varric for…some reason or another, but I was beyond the point of caring. Anders was passed out, his head on the table, Aveline was sitting with her husband, and Fenris was in the back, nursing a mug an watching everyone at once. Isabela was sitting on a table, legs crossed, swing a mug and starting another of her slurred, delightfully filthy pirate songs. Luckily for me, I was just blitzed enough to join in. She smiled and reached out a hand, pulling me up to sit next to her before throwing her arm around my shoulder as she swayed to her own haphazard tune.
"Oy, y'all blighters." She roared, gesturing grandly with the mug and her free hand, her words slightly blurred, "this… this here id Kitten… MY Kitten…" that was when I started to realize just how drunk Isabela was, as her eyes kept flicking around, dark rings beneath, and her breath stronger than the drink in her mug. Had I been straight, I would have not approached her while she was so loaded, as she has a slight tendency to get frisky when this many shades to the wind. But, as I myself was fairly buzzed, I did not pull away but instead I put my own arm on her shoulders and gave her a slight hug. She laughed her laugh that signaled a challenge, and continued her rant. "no-not only is she my Kitten, but also the proud bride of none other than our ve *hiccup* very own Ser Hawke, Champion of Kr*hic* Kirk*Hic*… Kirk. Wall." She swallowed, and before I knew what was happening, she s swiveled on her ass, grabbed the back of my head, and kissed me, full in the mouth. I was too startled to do anything, and then she pulled back and announced in oddly scintillating volumes. "But she was mine first!" She then gave a small push to the small of my back. "now, bugger off dear, mommy's got work to do." As I raised to my feet, hopping of the bench and to floor, she… she SLAPPED MY ASS! I "epped," grabbed my stinging rear, and moved quickly away as Isabela grabbed another shot, and those surrounding her cheered. I left before anyone culd say anything.
By the (the word Maker was crossed out) Creators how is it still after 7 years that Isabela can fluster me like this?
(*) I told Hawke about what happened in the bar the other night, and he merely chuckled. "I Think Varric is the only one Isabela hasn't managed to catch like that when she is that drunk." I have come to the conclusion that Hawke was surprised that it just recently happened.
End Pariah 12.
