When Javeen woke up, she was sitting in front of her father.
He was sitting as well, leaned over the wheel that once belonged to him, now her. He was making another vase for mother, since Carver broke the last one he made her. Smoke drifted up from his pipe as he worked, calm and focused. He didn't look up at her when he spoke.
"You almost done?" he asked.
Javeen, the same age as she was now- which was impossible, completely absurd- blinked at him. He died so long ago. She was barely out of teenagerhood when he passed. This had to be a dream, right? "Done what?"
"Being asleep. There are a lot of people waiting for you."
Javeen flexed her hands. "Am I asleep? Why are you here?"
Malcolm chuckled softly. "Who knows? Dreams are funny. Or maybe I convinced the Maker to see you one last time."
Her eyes narrowed. "You weren't that religious when you were alive."
"Not on the outside, no." He lifted the wet clay up in his hands, forming a perfect neck. He took a ribbon tool from nowhere and started smoothing out all the excess mud. "I see you've made friends with some unexpected people."
She shrugged. "You got something to say about it?"
"Only to be careful. You're in the middle of a squabble, my girl. Protecting both will be hard."
Javeen's jaw tightened. "I can do it."
"Can you?" Finally Malcolm looked up from his work, boring dark brown eyes into her unnatural blue ones. "After all that?"
The question shook her to her core. Old habits pushed through her brain, doubt clawed at the very centre of her heart. But then the words of her letter to Merrill surrounded both of them, circling around them like a tornado. Wind blew through her hair as she looked up at them, finding her resolve. "With them, I can."
Malcolm smiled, placing an impossibly clean hand on her cheek. Javeen reached for him, such touches never initiated in real life. But before she could hold him, he was gone. Disappeared along with the spiral of words. "Wait..." she said to nothing. "Carver? Are you here too?" She stood up, looking around the empty space, frantic in her movement. "If you're here, say something! Please. SAY SOMETHI-"
She woke with a long breath. Her eyes narrowed at the bright light of the tent, the sun up high in the sky. A familiar numbness that could only come from the healer's very potent numbing potions kept her from moving too quickly, exhaustion making it impossible. Though she could feel deep pangs of hunger as well. How long had she been out?
She took several deep breaths, trying to move her arm. It was slow, frustrating work, but she managed to place her hand on her chest to feel fresh, tight bandages wrapped around her entire torso. She could not feel pain at the moment, but even as incapacitated as she was during the purge, just from touching the bandages she knew her injuries were grave. But she was alive. She lived. The venom was gone.
She relaxed, sinking into the cot further as the tension in her left. Still, she was unsettled thanks to that dream. It really felt like she had talked to father again, but that was impossible. She wasn't deeply religious and the Maker did her no favours. But she had to admit...hearing his voice again...it was nice. She hadn't realized just how much she wanted to hear it again, even if it was fake. If only Carver had been...
No, she had to stop that. They were gone. She should not cling to sentimental hallucinations, it would not serve her well. Thankfully, the healer came up beside her, providing a good distraction.
He placed the back of his hand against her forehead. "You are awake. How to you feel?"
"Numb," she said truthfully, her voice raspy from thirst. "But...good. I'm good."
The healer's smile was gentle, and he nodded. "It is good to see you well, Hawke."
Javeen returned the smile. "Don't get too mushy on me now, healer." She groaned as she tried to sit up. The healer helped carefully. "How long was I out?"
"Two days." He reached for a canteen of water attached to his belt, holding it up to her. "Slowly. Do not drink too much."
Javeen gulped back a few swings, exhaling deeply once she was done. "Did anything happen while I asleep?" she asked. Like perhaps a rampaging mother trying to get inside the compound to kill her daughter for good? Javeen would simultaneously love and be terrified of that.
The healer hesitated, his back turned to her as he prepared another numbing potion for her. "There is...something. At the moment, Joanna's mother is here."
It felt like a cold dagger had been plunged into her chest. "What."
"She demanded to speak to her yesterday, and it was only this morning the Arishok allowed it. The woman is at the front dais now, and Joanna-"
Javeen didn't hear the rest. She shot out of bed with speed only possible by pure adrenaline unhindered by venom. She heard the healer's flat, disappointed call in the distance, but she didn't care. If Lacrissa was here, Joanna was not safe. Oh physically, she would be fine, if the Arishok deigned to protect her, but mentally? Not many people could face their attempted murderer's, especially not if they were their mother as well.
She ignored the warning signs her body was sending her to stop, acknowledging she would be feeling this later. But all she could think of right now was Joanna. She deserved better than this.
She had no strength to call for her as the dais came into sight, but just as she was about to start up the steps, an insistent hand grabbed her arm and kept her in place. The healer's furious eyes locked with hers, but then they turned to watch what was happening too. He cared for Joanna just as much as she did.
Javeen's sight went red as it locked onto the famously terrible mother. Lacrissa, done up in stupidly expensive silks, pale skin and long ribbons of blonde hair, had an expression of nervous kindness. A lie, then. She had her hands together in an almost prayer, pleading with her daughter. Who, at the moment wore a neutral face, at least as much as she could muster. Lacrissa was flanked by two guards, likely the very same that went on that "trip" with Joanna.
"-don't have to stay. Please, come home, my darling. We miss you so much!"
Joanna said nothing. She just stared with her one eye.
Lacrissa's smile grew ever the more strained. "I-I am grateful that you've been taken care of, but really, you should be recovering with your family. Don't you want to see your brothers?"
Finally, Joanna spoke. "You mean your eventual co-conspirators?"
Watching Lacrissa feign shock made Javeen want to rush back to Arzhela for her first target practice. "Joanna," the noblewoman pleaded, "please. You are confused. It's understandable, from what happened. But you fell. It was an accident. We-we couldn't reach you in time before those...those beasts attacked. I too needed to recover-"
"Unfortunately for you," Joanna interrupted, the one eye blazing so fiercely it made Javeen proud, "I remember everything."
And there it was. A flicker of loathing crossed Lacrissa's face for only a second. But not quick enough for Javeen to miss. Oh, it was so on.
"Joanna," Lacrissa seethed, but she was holding it back, "you cannot stay here. It isn't safe."
"It is. It's the safest place I'll ever be." Joanna smiled at the Arishok. "Because I'm Qunari."
Silence. Complete silence. The look on Lacrissa's face, hell on Javeen's face, was enough to write a play about. Slowly, the Arishok rose from his throne, towering over the new addition to the Compound easily, but she wasn't afraid of him. Not anymore. The Arishok regarded Lacrissa like she was an insect, looking down on her with a curled lip and disgusted eyes. "You have your answer human," he said, voice deep with threat, "now leave. There is nothing for you here."
Lacrissa stepped forward, face flushed with rage, but stopped when two of the antaam also moved. The two guards Lacrissa brought with her took her shoulder, keeping their other hands on the hilts of their weapons. But she stopped. Her teeth scraped her upper lip as she contemplated. Then she nodded in defeat. "Fine, then. You made your choice." Her eyes narrowed. "It breaks my heart to lose my daughter. Your father would be saddened to know you abandoned us."
Joanna shot back a glare. "Vashedan."
Javeen couldn't help but smile. Camlen must have taught her that word.
Lacrissa whirled around and promptly left the Compound, with as much grace and dignity as she could muster. Joanna let out a breath, and once she noticed that Javeen was there, beamed and rushed over. "Hawke! You're awake!"
"Yeah," she nodded, "and you're...Qunari."
Joanna smiled, and it was the happiest smile she'd seen on her yet. "Mm. It might seem too soon but...it feels right."
"Wisdom does not always need time," the healer said, his eyes proud. "Come, viddithari. I have a patient who needs to return to bed."
Javeen at this point was too weakened to protest being literally dragged by an impatient healer and his now assistant, but eh. She wouldn't have struggled that hard anyway. There was no shadow of doubt or dread that came from Joanna's decision. Most would be horrified that the Qunari gained yet another, but there were no such feelings in her.
Javeen glanced at the Arishok, who was watching them with mild amusement. He nodded to her when their eyes locked. Javeen couldn't help a smile of her own as she nodded back.
The assassin yawned, bored out of his mind. At least he was getting paid to wait around, but Maker. He wished he had at least brought some cards or something. All he had to wait for was to see the girl with her mother, and the plan was a go. Find a giant, kill it, and then finish the job. It was convoluted, but whatever. The money was good. His guildmaster would be happy, and so long as he pleased that bastard, life would be good for a long time after.
He rolled his eyes as the woman returned loudly, slamming the expensive door and rattling the chandelier above. He kinda hoped it would fall. At least that would be entertaining. He peered at the commotion from high above, leaning against the rail of the balcony of the staircase. He saw the mistress and her two guards...and no girl to be found. Well, then. He could stop hiding in the shadows.
"It didn't go well, I take it?" he asked, amused.
"You." Lacrissa snarled. "You will not speak."
The assassin shrugged. He wasn't being paid to speak, so why waste his breath?
"Damn that girl," she raved, pulling at her hair, "when did she find a backbone? And now she's a heathen? Damn it!"
She ripped off an expensive bracelet and threw it at the wall, shattering an innocent vase into a million shards.
The two guards exchanged a look, but remained silent.
Lacrissa took a shaky breath, calming herself. "No. No. This can still work." She turned to the assassin. "You will proceed with the plan."
"Why steal a weapon from a dead qunari, when it would be easier to wait for the girl herself to come out? I've studied the patterns, they don't stay behind those walls forever. If you're worried about it being linked back to you, do not worry. The Crows are good at what we do."
Her lip curled. "No. You must get that weapon. The Qunari must be blamed. The Viscount is useless when it comes to those beasts. They will never be driven out the way things are." She smiled. "But what do you think we'll do when a young girl, naive in her choices, finds the brutal people she joined murdered her in cold blood? Do you think I, Lacrissa Linett, would stand for such a thing?"
Ah. So it was more about recognition then removing a troublesome stain. He had a lot of experience with those kinds of jobs too. "Very well," he nodded, "it will be done."
"See that it does," Lacrissa snarled, suddenly fierce. "I have already wasted enough gold paying those failures on the Wounded Coast. Tch. If only I had known...I would have had their throats slit and had my pick of their weapons."
The assassin felt no pity for her, he just thought she was an idiot. But she was a rich idiot, and killing a few giants and then killing a teenager wasn't going to be that difficult when it was executed right. All he had to do was wait for the right moments. It would take time, but it could be done.
He disappeared into the shadows, a skill second nature to him.
Lacrissa dismissed her guards, heading upstairs to her room. She took off all her heavy jewelry, undid the complicated hairstyle. She sighed as she looked into the mirror, noticing the bags under her eyes. She didn't lose. Not yet. She still could do this.
She did, after all, have the Chantry's blessing.
